Cancel My Engagements
by CollaborativeBeats
Summary: A night of revelations and confessions gave way to a morning of loneliness. Kyoko left and no one is willing to help Ren find her. Thus follows a whirlwind tale of dead-ends, an unorthodox alliance, sleepless nights and more than a few surprises as the truth behind Kyoko's disappearance is revealed.
1. The Aftermath of the Truth

_Ten authors were asked to participate in an improv writing stunt as a Christmas present to the SkipBeat! fandom. But there was a crucial twist–the joint fanfic plot would be secret, even from the authors._

_Each author was given 48 hours or less to write their chapter with no foreknowledge of the preceding chapter until their time began. The only rules: stay faithful to Yoshiki Nakamura's beloved characters, do not avoid any plot twists the preceding author(s) crafted, and "you do you."_

_The result? A rollicking tale as unexpected and exciting in development to each author as for the readers! We hope you enjoy this tribute to our favorite Ren and Kyoko and to the rich diversity of talent and background filling the SkipBeat! fandom. Without further ado–_

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**TO:** _the Skip-Beat fandom_, **FROM:** _ncisduckie_

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**Chapter 1: The Aftermath of the Truth**

Tsuruga Ren woke up smiling.

For the first time in years, he was content. The burden of his past lingered at the back of his mind, but his body was filled with a lightness he hadn't felt since he was young. His day consisted of meetings to tie loose strings for the movie he wrapped, paired with casting meetings for movies he didn't particularly care about. The trouble was worth it only because Kyoko was in his guest room and she would come home with him.

He came clean about his identity the night before. Almost three years passed since he came across Kyoko in the LME hallway, ten years since they last saw each other. Two years flew by since he realized he couldn't be without her again. They promised to be friends after the Kana-incident a year and a half ago. And one year ago he admitted his feelings to her. Everything was put on pause when he was whisked away to Osaka for a film shoot that would last months. Kyoko, too, accepted a drama role that kept her in Akita until after his return. Last night was the culmination of all their time apart where he couldn't bear the secrets any longer.

People said distance makes the heart grow fonder and he was inclined to agree. After almost a year of texts and treasured phone calls, he told her about Corn and about Kuon Hizuri and about Rick and about everything that happened since they parted as children in Kyoto.

And she accepted him. They cried together and let down their walls for the first time. She told him of her own feelings and she told him about Bo and he learned that his best friend and confidant had been her the whole time.

They couldn't be together, not yet. Not until they learned each other all over again. But Ren could handle that. Because now he knew Kyoko was amenable to being together. They could do this. Together.

Swinging his legs over the side of his bed, Ren listened carefully to the silence of his apartment. His grin widened as he pushed himself up and slid across the room; she was still asleep. While their timing meant they would have to make do with either a convenience store breakfast or, worse, skipping it all together , he couldn't pass up the opportunity of waking her. They only had a few moments together this morning before having to separate for work–and he intended on spending those moments together.

"Kyoko, it's time to get up," he called softly, tapping the guest door. Ren swung it open and peeked his head in. "Yashiro-san will be here in–"

He stopped.

His eyes fell onto the perfectly made guest bed in the center of the room. Everything she'd brought in the night before was gone. All that was left was a small square left on the pillow.

"Kyoko?" He repeated as he dared to venture farther into the room. His footsteps echoed loudly in the empty room. When he reached the bed, his breathing faltered. The square was an envelope.

His heart beat like a drumline as he pulled the flap open, dumping the contents into his palm. A torn-out page from Kyoko's Love Me book fluttered down, accompanied by the ungraceful thuds of a familiar stone and necklace, along with an unfamiliar key-chain. He held his breath as he unfolded the page to find Kyoko's careful handwriting:

_I'm sorry._

The air was stolen from his chest and his knees buckled. He swallowed hard, steadying himself against the wall. No, that wasn't right. _Last night_… He forced the thought away. After everything, this wasn't supposed to happen. Flipping the note over, he searched for a clue, anything to tell him that this was all a prank. But when he turned the page, he found his own handwriting and an infinity symbol mocking him.

Shoving the note and the envelope's contents into his pocket, Ren doubled back to his room, fumbling for his cell on his nightstand. He sank into the cold side of the bed as he dialled her number. The line never connected. Instead, a cold automatic voice filled the speaker:

_We're sorry, the number you reached has been disconnected or is no longer in service. If you think this is a mistake, please redial or call the service provider. _

Automated messages wouldn't deter him. He impulsively dialed the next number, foolishly hopeful as his call connected. He clenched his fist and tapped his feet against the cold hardwood in time to the rings. It rang forever. For all he knew, Kyoko told them to ignore his calls. They would agree without hesitation; the Taisho never liked him much anyway.

"Thank you for calling the Darumaya, how may we help you?" Luckily, it was the Okami who picked up. He could deal with her; she was much nicer than her husband.

"This is Tsuruga Ren." He held his breath, waiting for the inevitable dial tone that would follow his announcement. Except the Okami remained on the line. Ren blew out a sigh, pulling his shoulders back. "I'm looking for Kyoko-chan?" he asked.

Silence swallowed the line. Ren looked at his cell and the call time displayed the passing seconds. He pressed the phone back to his ear and this time; he could hear her breathing.

"I'm sorry, Tsuruga-san; I wish I could help," she said finally. "Kyoko-chan barely said a word to us this morning. She just thanked us for everything and walked out with all her stuff."

He flopped back at the admission and stifled a groan. With a departure like hers, he never expected her to be at home but he couldn't help wishing he wasn't too late and she was still there. He should have known better; none of his wishes came true. "I see," he said blandly.

"Did you… If you don't mind me asking… Did something happen between you two?"

Ren hesitated. Last night was 'something,' except he thought it had been a good 'something.' "You could say that."

"I'm sorry, Tsuruga-san. If we hear anything…"

"Same to you," he said quickly. He heard the coils in her head churning. There wasn't any way to play this where he wasn't responsible for Kyoko's departure; who was he fooling? He would be the last one to call if they heard anything. Really, he couldn't blame them. "I'll keep you in the loop, as well."

"Thank you."

He heard her smile over the line and for the briefest moment he felt calmer about the situation. But Kyoko's note still weighed heavily in his pajama pocket. He hung up without a farewell; he didn't deserve her kindness.

The room stilled as he threw his phone against his comforter. It was impossible to believe that it was still the same day–a million lifetimes passed since he found the empty guestroom waiting for him. Hundreds of lives flew by after reading her apology. He pulled the note from his pocket again, bringing its accompaniments out.

He recognized the stone easily. Corn. Princess Rosa elicited the same recognition. The third item made him pause; he had never given her a key-chain. He held it up to the sunlight and gasped. Kyoko had this attached to her purse for over a year and he never inspected it. Now, it was obvious. It was the dandelion ring.

Ren stood, brushing everything aside. He disappeared into his bathroom and ran a hand through his bedhead. Any other day and the bird's nest would justify at least ten minutes of styling to perfect Tsuruga Ren's look. Today, he would settle for combed. When he was satisfied with his finger-combing, he pulled a change of clothes from the closet. There was no rhyme or reason to the outfit. All he needed was clothes on his body. He reserved the rest of his energy for Kyoko and not silly things like hair and clothes.

He emerged from his bathroom and sighed. Stuffing the note and trinkets into his jeans pocket, Ren retrieved his phone. For a moment, he considered calling Lory next, but he already knew how his eccentric boss would answer.

Kyoko's cell was disconnected and he was the only one who could have helped her with that. Lory wouldn't do more than applaud Kyoko's decision to escape him.

Luckily, he knew someone who _might_ take pity on his despair. But since picking up Kyoko as a client, he'd definitely shown a preference for her over him. Which he couldn't blame. Ren would also pick Kyoko over him any day. "Yashiro?" he asked when his manager finally picked up.

His manager squeaked. "Ren, I'm not allowed to–"

Of course he was involved. He should have never agreed to share Yashiro. Sure, the convenience was great, and he was happy to have Yashiro on his side when they shared a common goal. He never expected him to double back on him at such a crucial time.

Then again… Yashiro was also an employee of LME. Things were always like this in show business–he should have known better.

"So, I won't ask." Ren tightened his grip on his cell and stormed from his room. There wasn't time to engage in whatever games President Takarada roped him into. The longer he spent playing phone tag, the farther Kyoko could run. "I have other business to discuss. Time-sensitive."

Yashiro sighed. Rolling his eyes, Ren waited as Yashiro cleared his throat. A moment passed before his manager spoke again. "All right let's meet at your apartment and we can talk," he said in his usual professional tone.

"No need; it'll only take a minute." Ren slid into his coat. His mind spun in circles, trying to work out his next move. "Do you have a pen?"

"Yes."

"I need you to cancel my engagements."

"For today?" Yashiro hummed and across the line, Ren heard pages turn. "It's tight, but I can work it out."

Taking a deep breath, Ren pressed his forehead into the front door. This was harder than he thought. _It will all work out_. Or, he hoped it would. He knew better than to think in absolutes. "No."

"No?" Yashiro sputtered, echoing Ren a few more times. Ren almost laughed but smothered his chuckle. Taking a deep breath, Yashiro pushed through. "B–But you just–"

"Not today. Everything–cancel it," Ren said. "Tsuruga Ren is unavailable until further notice."

"Ren, you can't–"

"Thanks for everything, Yashiro; I'll call when the situation has changed." He hung up on his manager's protests. "Sorry, Yashiro," he whispered.

Immediately, his phone lit up with an incoming call from Yashiro. _Decline_. Another. Then, for a few seconds, silence. A new name crossed his phone: President Takarada. Ren hesitated only a second before declining that call, too. He called again from his private line. _Decline_.

Ren squeezed his eyes shut. It took everything in him not to throw his phone to the wall and shout. Except there was no way his neighbors wouldn't complain and for the time being, he was still Tsuruga Ren. And Tsuruga Ren didn't cause a scene when he was frustrated. Besides, there was still one number left in his arsenal.

He hoped to never need to pull this trick out of his bag–but he was desperate. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Ren had to hope it was enough.

Opening his eyes, he dialed. The phone rang and rang and rang until Ren was ready to call it a lost cause. And finally, after almost thirty seconds, the line connected. A groggy voice slurred a greeting and Ren braced himself for the fallout.

"Fuwa, it's Tsuruga Ren," he said tightly. "Don't hang up."

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_I'd like to thank Persephone for herding us all together for such a unique project. It's one of the most community-centered projects I've worked on, but I definitely had the easiest job writing. Starting this project out and being able to sit back and watch it unfold has been the most interesting experience in both storytelling and trust. I'm grateful for the participants and I hope everyone enjoys our hard work!_

_Happy holidays, everybody!_

_**~ncisduckie**_

This author can be found at:

**AO3**: _(website goes here)_ /users/ncisduckie/pseuds/ncisduckie

**FFN**: _(website goes here followed by a slash)_ u/3040642


	2. The Beginning of Something Marvelous

**TO:** _the Skip-Beat fandom_, **FROM:** _Blushweaver_

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**Chapter 2: The Beginning of Something Marvelous**

The calls kept coming. Every time someone new called, their ID would light up the screen, rattling noisily on the table thanks to being set to vibrate.

Ren barely spared his phone a glance before swiping the decline option.

_37 missed calls. 4 voice messages._

And not a single one from Kyoko. It was the only reason he hadn't turned the thing off. If she called, he didn't want to miss her just because he'd been foolish enough to disconnect as she had. He tugged the ball cap lower over his eyes, trying to keep a low profile. Situated as he was in a coffee shop, the incessant vibrating of his phone on the table was starting to get looks.

He stayed for a few minutes longer, ignoring two more calls while sipping on a morning coffee. He really didn't need help keeping his focus. It was more to keep the barista away.

He was just considering leaving when someone finally slid into the booth opposite him.

"Took you long enough," said Ren.

Fuwa Sho gave a scoff, fatigue visible behind overly large sunglasses. While covered from head to foot to prevent recognition, he'd opted for a flashy, ripped leather overcoat with more belts than sense. A hat covered his blond hair and piercings.

Sho tugged down his face mask, mouth drawn into a triumphant sneer.

"And yet you waited," said Sho. "The great Tsuruga Ren. You must not have much going for you if you have so much free time to waste."

_Not anymore,_ he thought to himself.

Ren ignored the jab, aware that this meeting was not about egos. He'd thrown much of that away last night during his conversation with Kyoko. The threat this man poised was less significant than ever before. He was the one Kyoko had confessed to having feelings for, not this brat. Ren just needed to remember that to make it through this conversation.

"Believe me, if there was any other option, I would never have contacted you," said Ren.

"Sure, sure," said Sho. "Just make this quick; I have a busy schedule today. Wouldn't want to get caught up by my fans once they recognize me here." He didn't look too put out by that possibility.

"It's Kyoko-chan," said Ren. "Has she contacted you in the past twenty-four hours?"

"Hah?" He gave a dismissive flick of his wrist. "What's it to you? We can contact each other whenever we want to. Don't tell me you're becoming the possessive, jealous type."

Ren clenched his jaw. "Possessive? That's more up your alley."

Sho tsked, wagging his finger annoyingly in the air. "No, no, don't you get it? I have no need for that because I know that no matter where she goes, I have a permanent place in her heart."

Ren really wanted to punch this clown. But if he did that, he'd have to punch himself as well. He too had that desire to become a part of Kyoko's life. An existence so vital that he could never be forgotten or overwritten. Sho had managed that by breaking her heart and igniting her rage. And Ren… Ren wasn't sure what he was to her anymore, nor did he like what his presence in her life had inspired in the last twelve hours.

"Fair enough," said Ren with a nod. Sho scowled, no doubt frustrated that Ren hadn't risen to the jab. "You hold a place in her history, that much is certain. But she was also fighting to cut you of her life. Yet every time she got close to doing so, you'd show up and throw it back into chaos." Ren leveled Sho with an intent stare. "How did you manage that? She went to great lengths to keep you out."

Sho met his gaze for several seconds. Slowly, his grin came back.

"I see. You've been cut out as well, haven't you?" Ren tried not to flinch, but it was impossible to mask completely. Sho spotted it, and his triumph grew. "You're always putting on airs like you're some big hotshot. But you can't even keep the attention of one ugly nobody. How pathetic."

"Whatever I am at this moment, I do not care," said Ren harshly. "Kyoko-chan. I need to contact her."

"Of course you do. And you think I'll help you because…?"

"Because I doubt even you could find her right now."

That struck his attention. Sho shifted in his seat, leaning forward so that his eyes peered over the rim of his sunglasses.

"It really pisses me off how much you underestimate me," said Sho.

Ren imitated his posture, leaning forward on the table and letting some of his frustration leak through. He saw the effect his change in aura had on Sho, a hesitance entering his face. "I couldn't care less what you think of me," he said, voice low in the threatening timbre of Cain. "But if I have to work together with a cockroach like you to find Kyoko-chan, I will."

Sho leaned back, finally giving Ren the proper amount of consideration as he scrutinized him. He rubbed a hand along his chin, both of them ignoring the barista when she came over to ask after Sho's order. The second she left, Sho spoke up.

"This is different," said Sho. "She's really gone this time, isn't she?" He suddenly let out a bark of laughter, taunting Ren with his amusement. "You really screwed up, didn't you? So completely that she ran. Ha! At least with me, she declared her revenge, but you? Just what did you do to make her run?"

Ren stayed quiet.

The silence just served to increase Sho's pleasure. He whipped out his cell phone, eagerly scrolling through the contacts before pressing on one.

"I have to see this," said Sho. "I want to know exactly what you did to make her hate you so much that she–Shoko? I'm not coming in today–What!? No, I'm not skipping again, it's something important. I'll call you back when I can."

The irate voice of his manager cut off as Sho ended the call, tossing the phone back on the table. It lit up, showing the ID of his manager who was no doubt in a complete panic. At almost the same time, Ren's phone also lit up, the two phones making a racket on the table.

Ignoring both phones, Sho lounged back in the chair with the ease of a man who had all day to make trouble.

"So, where to begin?" said Sho. "Tell me what you know so far."

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_Happy holidays and the best wishes for 2020 to all! __**~Blushweaver**_

This author can be found at:

**AO3**: _(website goes here)_ /users/Blushweaver/pseuds/Blushweaver

**FFN**: _(website goes here followed by a slash)_ u/6331426


	3. Blonde Bombshells

**TO:** _the Skip-Beat fandom_, **FROM:** _Persephone Jinmi_

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**Chapter 3: Blonde Bombshells**

Ren wrapped his hands tightly around his coffee mug, studying Sho intently. He couldn't give this man any more hold over him than he already had.

"I don't know why she left–" he started.

"Bullshit," Sho interrupted, a vicious grin spreading over his face as he slapped his hands down on the table, rattling the unused silverware. He leaned forward over the table, taunting Ren with laughter in his eyes. "You know, because you caused it."

Ren glared at him as he continued, trying to keep the snarl out of his voice.

"I know her phone is disconnected. Not just dead. I know she's moved out from the Darumaya. No forwarding address, nothing–not even to Okami-san." Ren shifted his eyes to look out the window. She was out there, somewhere. "And not to me." He looked down at his coffee, his inner turmoil growing as he fought down the rising nausea challenging him to face the facts. He had no more right to chase after her than the douche sitting across from him. His pocket felt heavier than ever, dragged down by the weight of Kyoko's abandoned mementos.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Their feelings were mutual. She had accepted him. She had forgiven him. He had to find her–he had to know why she left when the last words they'd spoken had been promises for the future.

Sho was staring at him with obvious pleasure. He'd pushed his oversized sunglasses down slightly. "Sad." He clucked his tongue. "So very sad." Sho grinned wolfishly, waving his finger at Ren. "Pride comes before the fall, isn't that right Number One?"

Ren rolled his eyes and started to get up. Calling Sho had been a mistake born out of desperation. Why had he ever thought this ignorant, hormonal teen could help him? He threw a cash tip down on the table and pulled his jacket around him as he turned to leave wordlessly.

Sho pushed his chair back with a loud scraping sound, shoving his hands in his pockets as he strolled after Ren, whistling. He pulled down his glasses again to make eye contact with their buxom barista, winking lasciviously at her. Ren slammed open the door, jarring the welcome bells set atop it into harsh dissonance. He needed fresh air.

He shoved his own sunglasses down over his eyes as he stood in the chilly morning, trying to decide his next move. Sho came and stood beside him, rocking back on forth on the balls of his feet. Ren growled under his breath and started off to the right, walking as quickly as his legs could carry him. Sho ambled behind, still whistling.

"Did you even bother to talk to her actual friends yet, genius?" Sho's voiced trailed after him from a distance. Ren froze. _Kotonami and Amamiya._

"Hah! Ah, oh my God, it just keeps getting better. Why on Earth did you call me and not them? Are you just as obsessed with me as she is?" Sho preened, straightening his shoulders as he rambled up to Ren's side. "Not that I can blame you." He paused. "What about her actual home? Or did you just call the fake one?"

Ren turned towards Sho at that, speaking through clenched teeth. "The Darumaya is her home. Those people love her, and she loves them."

"They didn't raise her." Sho shrugged.

Ren raked his hand through his hair in frustration, messing up the tenuously finger-combed style he'd thrown together earlier. "I know she made peace with her mother, but do you honestly think she'd turn to the woman who–"

"God, how well do you actually know her?" Sho asked in mock dismay. "Not her mom, my mom." He opened his phone to call the Fuwa ryokan. "You figure out where her friends are. I'll call home." Sho wandered into the tiny public park on their right and sat on a swing, his shoes carving long drag marks in the ground as he swung his feet while he waited for his mother to pick up.

Ren fingered his own phone, watching Sho. He didn't have Kotonami or Amamiya's phone numbers. He sat on the bench next to the swings and waited, listening to Sho's one-sided conversation.

"Ma–Hey! What? No! God, woman–Sorry! Sorry! Okay, okay, I will… No, she's actually why–Yes, I'm calling to–Ma!" Sho's feet slammed down into the ground, bringing his restless swinging to a halt as he yelled into the phone. "Stop talking and tell me where Kyoko is!"

Silence fell on the other end of the line before the unmistakable, if muted, sound of a motherly rant exploded. Sho winced, holding the phone away from his ear as his mother berated him.

"Hey… hey…" Sho tried to cut into her monologue, moving his hand in useless placating gestures. Ren rolled his eyes and started to get up and leave. He was getting nowhere by waiting for Fuwa.

"Fine! Geez!" Sho yelled into the phone, hanging up and pushing himself off the swing, throwing it against the side of the set with a clang. He turned to glare at Ren, his voice harsh and mocking. "Kyoko-chan this, Kyoko-chan that–ever since they came to visit her it's been nothing but their precious Kyoko and now they think it's my fault that she's gone! You–" he cut himself off, balling his fist at Ren. "You better find her. You owe me now!"

"Owe you?" Ren scoffed. "For you voluntarily calling your own mother and getting reamed out for your own stupidity and rudeness?"

Sho stepped towards Ren, his eyes blazing. His lips curled back as he raised his fists threateningly, looking every inch like he was about to punch Ren in broad daylight. Ren looked down at him coldly, letting his own anger and pain leak out of him slowly like a black mist. He didn't move a muscle, his hands carefully held loose and still by his sides, but Sho sensed the shift and scoffed, breaking the tension as he stepped to the side to walk past Ren.

"She didn't admit that Kyoko's there," he said, obviously trying to keep his voice calm. "But she also wasn't surprised when I told her Kyoko was missing. She flipped about my tone, not about Kyoko. Then shifted into blaming me for her disappearance without asking any other questions." Ren reached out and gripped Sho's shoulder, stopping him mid-stride. Sho sneered and shoved his hand off but turned to look at him.

"She knows something?" Ren asked, hope creeping into his voice.

Sho merely nodded.

Ren pulled up his phone and immediately punched in the website for purchasing bullet train tickets. He found a seat on the next train to Kyoto easily and was about to click "Purchase" when Sho's hand snaked up and clicked the lock button to shut off the screen. Ren growled at him and batted his hand away, unlocking his phone again.

"You are not barging in on my family until you've called her friends," Fuwa demanded. "For all we know, she just called my mom and told her she was fine. They run a hospitality business, Tsuruga. What would it look like if hot-shot Tsuruga Ren bursts in midday, an emotional wreck, claiming someone was hiding his girlfriend there?" He stared up at Ren over his glasses, his face bored but his eyes sharp.

Ren ground his teeth. He was going to need dental work after spending the day with Fuwa. He was about to snarl his rebuttal when his phone vibrated again. He checked to see if it was Kyoko–but 'President Takarada' flashed across the screen instead. His finger hovered above decline. He hesitated, studying Sho, then shifted his finger to hit answer and raised the phone to his ear.

"Ren?" the President's voice sounded incredulous at first but recovered immediately, even without any confirmation from Ren. "Ah, excellent. Finally. About your time off–"

"I'm not changing my mind about canceling it all," Ren said firmly.

"Of course, of course, my boy," Lory's voice rang cheerfully across the phone. "Who asked you to?" Ren could hear faint mariachi music caterwauling in the background and a creaking sound from Lory's chair as he shifted his weight. "You deserve a vacation!"

Ren's eyes widened slightly in shock. "But… the contracts?"

"Never mind those; Ruto and Yashiro are on it. Might be out a few million, but if they just offer Hiromune-san instead I'm sure it will all work out." Lory chuckled. "He, after all, isn't close to a mental breakdown."

Ren bit his tongue to stop the retort, forcing himself to breathe deeply. Beside him Fuwa stood with his arms crossed, watching him intently.

"I need to know where Kotonami-san and Amamiya-san are, and how to contact them, sir," Ren asked, his voice firm but polite.

"Mmm, not a bad idea, but also not the right one. I am speaking to Tsuruga-san, correct?" Lory's voice was genial until he spoke Ren's surname when a sudden sharpness cut through. Ren cocked his head slightly, confused.

"Sir…?"

"I thought so. It's not you we need right now," Lory continued. The mariachi band in the background grew louder. Lory trilled joyfully with them, a sudden cacophony of clacking erupting on his end of the line as he shook maracas to their rhythm into the phone speaker.

Ren cast about for an answer wildly, trying to determine the flow of the President's logic. He looked incredulously at Fuwa, who stared back at him with raised brows. The President couldn't possibly know he was with Fuwa Sho, could he? Could… he…?

"You want… Fuwa?" he stammered in disbelief.

"Fuwa!" Takarada's glee rang out in a loud laugh, drowning out even the clacking maracas. "What hole have you dug yourself into?" Chuckling, Lory's voice grew warm and steady as he continued. "No, Tsuruga. I want Hizuri."

Ren's mouth dropped open as he floundered for words.

"Hizu–I can't, sir."

"You told her everything, didn't you?" Lory asked gently. Ren nodded, unable to speak, but Lory didn't bother waiting for his verbal answer. "And she left anyway."

Ren gripped the phone tightly, his consciousness narrowing to only his sense of hearing as he clung onto the phone, waiting for Lory's next words.

"She knows Ren is a lie. Why, boy–why are you chasing her as him? It's Hizuri Kuon that needs to find her now, not Tsuruga Ren." The President's voice was full of compassion as he spoke. "And take that other blonde man-child with you," he said, obviously smiling. "Fuwa could prove useful in Kyoto."

* * *

_Our fandom is blessed with some amazing authors and I am still stunned they let me join them in this. Thanks for the dream everyone._

_Merry Christmas from Persie to all! Long live RenKyo!_

_**~Persephone Jinmi**_

This author can be found at:

**AO3**: _(website goes here)_ /users/persephonekyoko/pseuds/persephonekyoko

**FFN**: _(website goes here followed by a slash)_ u/12571236


	4. Turnabout is Foul Play

**TO:** _the Skip-Beat fandom_, **FROM:** _Aikori Ichijouji_

* * *

**Chapter 4: Turnabout is Foul Play**

Ren roughly shoved his phone as deep into his pocket as it could go when he hung up. Several thoughtful seconds elapsed before he promptly yanked it back out with equal force and reopened the browser to review that day's scheduled departures on the Shinkansen Nozomi. Mentally calculating how long it would take him to visit Jelly and return to his apartment to pack a few things, he could catch the mid-afternoon train and be in Kyoto by dinner time.

He turned his phone so Sho could view the screen where he was about to confirm the purchase of two tickets.

"President Takarada said you'd be helpful if you accompanied me to Kyoto," was all he offered by way of an explanation.

"Where the hell does he get off telling you to–more importantly where the hell do _you_ get off–" Sho's face instantly reddened as he sputtered his words of frustration.

"I never told him anything about the fact that we already tried contacting your family."

He waited patiently and watched for a signal that his words finally registered in Sho's mind. It was like one of those strange magic eye illusions where, if you slightly crossed your eyes and tilted your head to one side, you could just make out the 3D image of an intelligent young man capable of deductive reasoning.

"Oh," was all he said.

Ren shut his eyes, if only to keep himself from rolling them.

"Go see your manager," he instructed. "Talk to them about rearranging your schedule for the time being, and for the love of all that's holy, get them to buy something suitable as a peace offering to take to your parents."

"Who do you think you are, ordering me around? It's not my freakin' fault Kyoko left you in the lurch."

Ren's hand came up as if to grab the other man's collar but stopped partway and hung in the air. He closed it into a fist before lowering it again.

"But it _is_ your fault she came to Tokyo in the first place. It's _your_ fault that she chose to join LME and that she and I ever crossed paths," he seethed, each word fired like missiles packed to bursting with loathing. "You can talk as high and mighty as you'd like about me owing you, but let's not forget that she and I would never have had the chance to meet if it weren't for your asinine decisions. So, why don't you try being the one to make a damn sacrifice for once in your life."

He stalked off in the direction of where he'd parked his car. Sho's voice rang out through the air behind him.

"And where exactly do you think you're going now?"

He stopped walking and turned his head just enough to see the irate singer fuming behind his sunglasses.

"To see a Muse about a disguise." His eyes swept disdainfully over Sho's garish excuse for camouflage. "You'd do well to consider the same. I'll meet you at Shinagawa Station later, so make sure you're on time."

And then he kept right on walking.

He knew there was no need to even extend the courtesy of calling Jelly Woods beforehand. President Takarada would've had her in a holding pattern until he made the decision to see her anyway. Strolling into her empty salon, he yanked the cap off his head and threw it along with his jacket on the sofa in the waiting area before throwing himself into the empty chair that faced the large mirror covering the majority of one wall.

Jelly walked out from the back room with a plastic bowl in one hand and a highlighting brush in the other. He said nothing to her. What was the point? She already knew why he was there and he was already long past done with playing by the President's stupid rules. To say nothing of the fact that he'd willingly endured Fuwa's company that morning and planned to continue doing so that afternoon and evening.

His hair color hadn't even changed yet and he was already slipping seamlessly back into his old self.

Her usual effervescent chattiness was suppressed by the air of somber silence with which he'd filled the room. Wordlessly she went about her work, parting his hair with quick precision and applying product before setting a timer and leaving to wash her equipment. It wasn't until he was washed, dried, clipped and styled that she caught his eye in the mirror, her face set with more seriousness than he'd ever witnessed in all his years of knowing her.

"Darling only told me part of the story as usual, but keep this in mind: choosing to do this means that you also accept responsibility for everything else that comes afterward."

He nodded once. "Even if she's changed her mind. Even if she's not sure what she wants. She needs to know that I meant what I said and that I'm not taking any of this lightly."

Jelly smiled at him in the mirror. "Then you'll be just fine."

Of course, 'just fine' was a fairly generic assurance. Particularly because Jelly had no idea that he would be accompanied by the country's most irritating visual kei artist (second only to the lead singer of Vie Ghoul, who he'd rather not name or even think about). The 'just' part of it was still acceptable, but 'fine' would need to be replaced with 'miserable'.

Sitting next to him on a train was only making it worse.

The only positive thing he could say about the singer was that he was at least on time for their train. Sure, he strolled onto the platform with mere seconds to spare before the train arrived, a bag slung over his shoulder and his clothing markedly less conspicuous. But he was on time, nonetheless.

"You look stupid," Sho grumbled beside him. "Seriously, not everyone can pull off the blond look."

"No one asked for your opinion."

"Too bad. You're stuck with me for at least the next few hours."

The shit-eating grin the man had on his face made him desperately want to remove it with his fist. He would have done so were it not for the fact that he didn't want to get kicked off the train. He'd just have to fight with his words.

"I'm honestly surprised I even fit in the train car next to you and your ego."

If this was Ren, he would've chosen to not engage him, taking the higher road with humility. Ren would have ignored him with cold politeness and watched the landscape go by at 300 kilometers per hour.

But he wasn't Ren anymore.

"So what's the deal with your ridiculous name, anyway? You seriously expect me to refer to you as Kuon?"

"You mean you don't travel under a pseudonym to avoid being mauled by your fans?" he asked, making sure to sound innocently shocked.

"No."

"Aww," he cooed at Sho in a patronizing manner, as if comforting a small frightened animal. "You'll get there one day."

Kuon then stuck the pair of large headphones he'd worn around his neck over his ears. Slouching further into his seat while cueing up some music on his phone, he settled in for a little over two hours of pretending Fuwa Sho didn't exist and that they were certainly not sitting side-by-side on a high-speed train.

At some point during the trip, Sho fell asleep and Kuon thanked his lucky stars for the respite.

The announcement that Kyoto Station was approaching pinged through the train car and he smacked the back of his hand against the other man's shoulder. He woke with a splutter, needing a few seconds to get his bearings. Kuon pointed to the scrolling characters on the sign at the front of the car indicating the next upcoming stop.

Letting Sho take the lead on navigating their way to the Fuwa ryokan was the best decision he'd made thus far. As each kilometer passed by, bringing them closer to his home, the man grew quieter and quieter. Kuon could almost see the impending doom of having to face his family once more weighing down his shoulders.

Ah, it was bliss.

They arrived after sunset and Sho managed to avoid being upbraided by his mother the moment he set foot on the property solely because there were guests present. Kuon quietly grit his teeth when he was introduced as one of the members of the musician's 'entourage' as he couldn't argue that it wasn't a decent cover story. It made people ask less questions and rendered him, for all intents and purposes, essentially invisible.

"C'mon Ma, even if I'm just coming home, I can't travel alone, ya know. It's bad for my image."

Sho's mother clicked her tongue in minor irritation before leading him away, but Kuon couldn't miss the glint of joy in her eyes at seeing her son.

If Mogami Saena was a glimpse into Kyoko's future appearance, Fuwa Yayoi was the magical looking glass into her future temperament. Kuon could definitely see where Kyoko's overbearing politeness and propriety came from, not to mention her concern with making sure everyone ate properly to the point that it was obsessive. He was pretty sure he'd been on the receiving end of the same lecture regarding his eating habits to which Sho was presently being subjected.

Still, the sight and sound of her fussing over her only child was more than Kuon could take. It made him sad for a number of reasons; some of which he didn't care to address right then. So, he excused himself from the dining table and went in search of solitude. He knew they weren't getting anything out of Yayoi until she'd had enough time to appreciate Sho's return.

He wandered the nearby woods, thankful that the nearly full moon provided ample lighting for his excursion. The feeling of branches scratching at his bare arms was at once nostalgic and soothing. The sound of chirruping insects almost drowned out the din of his own thoughts. He kept walking in hopes that his surroundings would provide adequate distraction.

Having never approached that particular area from that direction before, he almost walked right past it. However, he took four steps backwards when he spotted a familiar rock formation out of the corner of his eye. Soon enough he found himself sitting on said rock with the three items Kyoko left behind spread out on the surface beside him.

"I guess the fairy prince has returned to the forest."

His voice was quiet enough to be barely heard over the breeze making a symphony of rustling leaves. He looked up at the twinkle of stars peeking between the tree branches.

"He's no good without his princess."

His fingers brushed lightly over the blue stone he placed closest to him, wishing its owner–well, its current owner–was beside him instead.

"He's been no good for a long time."

Would he be able to make himself good enough for her? He didn't know, but he'd be damned if he wasn't going to try.

He returned to find Sho sitting in the rear garden working his way through a six-pack of something with a gold and white label. Sitting beside him on the bench, Kuon was about to ask if he'd learned anything about Kyoko's whereabouts from his mother when a can was shoved in front of his face. He wrinkled his nose. "Isn't it a little too soon in our relationship for us to be having a drink together?"

The bearer of the can looked at him unamused. "Shut up and drink it. This whole damn trip is stressful enough without you bein' here as well."

He took the can and it hissed when he popped open the top. Taking a generous swig of the contents, he looked out at the myriad of strategically landscaped plants that he couldn't name.

Sho was, predictably, the first to break the silence.

"She wouldn't tell me nothin'. She knows something, but won't say what it is," he sounded frustrated, yet resigned. "Twenty-plus years and I never woulda bet she'd pick plain ol' Kyoko over her own flesh an' blood."

Kuon took another sip before answering. "I think that says more about you than it does about her."

"Hey, I'd my reasons for leaving," Sho defended, swaying unsteadily on the bench. "Had my reasons for not comin' back either. I just–I couldn't _breathe_ here, ya know?"

His words struck a chord in Kuon that he found he was hard pressed to dispute. So, he said nothing.

"What 'bout your folks?" Sho asked, opening yet another can. "I bet you go an' see 'em every year like a good little boy, dontcha?"

Kuon shook his head. "I haven't seen my family in–"

He stopped to count the years off on his fingers. How long exactly had it been? Seven years? Eight? More? He wasn't sure.

"It's been a long time since I went home," he said finally.

Sho let out a low whistle. "So, whaddya tell 'em? Your career comes first?"

"Something like that."

More silence followed until it was broken, once again, by Sho. The only difference was he was laughing. It started as a small giggle before it built to a crescendo of guffaws that had him doubled over on himself.

"Oh man," he tried to catch his breath between chortles. "That's hilarious."

Kuon eyed him as if he'd suddenly become unhinged, a theory he was hesitant to dismiss. "What is?"

Sho only grinned that irritating grin. "Kyoko has a type."

Kuon was stunned into silence and Sho just kept laughing. He laughed as he picked up his empty cans and laughed his way right back into the main house, leaving Kuon alone in the courtyard. He continued to sit there, frozen stiff by the other man's tipsy revelation until the increasing chill in the air finally forced him to move.

It was late enough that the majority of the lights in the main house had been turned off, causing Kuon to make wrong turns down at least two hallways in search of the room he was assigned. Upon entering a third corridor, he heard the sound of Yayoi's voice muffled behind a door. He was about to turn back when he overheard something that made him pause.

"It's a good thing you left when you did–yes, Sho actually came home looking for you–no, he wasn't alone, he brought some strange friend of his with him. His name? I think he said it was Kuon. Nice boy, actually–What? No, I didn't tell either of them anything, I promise–Yes, I know I shouldn't be talking to you while they're here, but I wanted to make sure you made it to the airport safely–Yes, just be careful okay? Good. Have a safe flight, dear."

He doubled back as quickly and quietly as he could. Despite the daze he was in as a result of the conversation he overheard, or perhaps because of it, he managed to find his room. Without bothering to change his clothes, he collapsed onto the neatly made bed and spent the next eight hours not sleeping.

Instead, he was treated to the wonderful ordeal of his brain replaying everything that had happened over the past forty-eight hours. Mostly because trying to figure out where on Earth Kyoko could possibly be flying to was too daunting and gave him an instant headache.

Somewhere around the tenth time he revisited his conversation with Sho in the garden, he realized there was one person who knew Kyoko but was far enough removed from the situation that he could actually consult them. Of course, that meant breaking one part of the promise he made with himself.

But Kyoko was worth it, wasn't she?

In the interest of keeping up appearances, he bathed and changed clothes so he could show his face at breakfast and ate what he could stomach before excusing himself as he had the night before. He made sure he'd wandered a decent enough distance away from the ryokan to avoid being overheard but not too far that his cellular signal would be compromised. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, he dialed the familiar number.

The phone rang five times before his father picked up.

"H'lo?" His voice was muffled as if his mouth was full of cotton.

"Dad? It's me."

A series of noises followed that Kuon assumed was the sound of a fork clattering to the table, a chair scooting backwards and his father walking to another room and closing the door. Of course, he was eating.

"Kuon?" Kuu's voice came as a whisper into the phone. "What are you doing calling here? I thought–"

"I didn't know who else to call," he admitted, sounding as despondent as he felt. "I… I don't know what to do, Dad."

Kuu's sigh was long. "Talk to me, kiddo. What's going on?"

His father listened in silence as Kuon explained the entire story to him; how he'd met Kyoko before, how they'd been reunited and how he finally shared all of his secrets with her which ended with her essentially disappearing from his life without a trace.

"Well, you'll probably hate me for saying it, but Lory's right," his father admitted. "The two versions of yourself she knows you as are both fabricated personalities that you created. She may know your secrets, but does she know who _you_ are at all?"

"I think so, rather, she admitted that she'd gotten a few clues here and there."

"Clues aren't enough for her to reconcile that the man she knows and the boy she knew are the same person while also not being the same person at all," Kuu reasoned in a hushed voice. "She probably needs some time."

"I would've given her time if she'd asked. She didn't need to cut off all contact to do that."

His father let out a soft laugh. "The industry you both work in would make that nearly impossible. Besides, maybe you should also make use of this time apart to–"

His words cut off and Kuon could hear a series of knocks and the sound of a faint voice in the background.

"Honey, are you in there? We need to leave for the airport before the traffic gets any worse."

It was his mother. He hadn't heard the sound of her voice in so long; it caused the hair on his arms to stand on end.

"Sorry, I have to go," Kuu said after assuring his wife he would join her in a moment.

"You're going the airport _now_? But you hate LA afternoon traffic."

"I'm not flying. I promised someone I would pick them up."

Something about the way his father said it caused him to doubt his words. You had to be _very_ good friends with Kuu Hizuri to get him to brave the abhorrent traffic and personally pick you up from the airport. That thought went round and round in circles in his mind until something finally clicked into place.

It had been almost ten hours since he overheard Sho's mother talking to Kyoko on the phone.

A non-stop flight from Japan to Los Angeles was ten hours long, give or take.

"Oh my God," he breathed. "It's her, isn't it? You're going to pick her up."

"Kuon–"

"Even my own family is conspiring against me."

The betrayal almost stung worse than Kyoko's abrupt departure had. He hated that he almost felt strangely sympathetic towards Sho in that moment.

"Listen to me and listen carefully," Kuu's voice turned stern, stopping Kuon's spiraling in its tracks. "If you're thinking of coming here after her, you'd better make damn sure you know what you're doing and why."

"Of course I'm–"

"No, I want you to _think_ and I want you to remember. You made a promise to yourself, to Lory, and to your mother and me," he interrupted. "If you're not planning on honoring that, then don't even bother coming here."

"But–"

"I mean it, Kuon. Now, I have to go, but think about what I said." His father was almost pleading with him. "We'll still love you and support your decision either way. Just like we always have."

With that, the call disconnected. Kuon pulled the phone away from his ear and just stared at it, his ears filled with white noise and the faint sound of the quickening of his heart.

He had no idea how he ended up back at the ryokan, much less how he found himself sitting in Sho's room while the musician fiddled with the tuning on an old guitar he found in his closet. He vaguely remembered Sho mentioning something to him about getting inspired to write a new song, but that was about it. A screech from the guitar eventually brought him out of his abstraction and he blinked at Sho.

"Nice to see you've decided to join us again." Sho rolled his eyes.

"How…"

He shrugged. "No idea, you wandered in here looking like you'd seen a ghost and just sat down without a word. I figured I'd wait it out until you were a little less catatonic."

"I know where she is." Kuon's mouth felt dry as he spoke the words, still staring into the distance.

"She called you?" Sho put the guitar down, leaning it against the side of his bed to lean forward in interest. But Kuon only shook his head. He was still deciding exactly how much he could share without giving too much away.

"I happened to hear your mother talking to her on the phone when I got lost on the way to my room last night."

"Well, where the hell is she?" Sho asked impatiently.

"She–she left the country."

Sho was out of his seat then, waving his arms about in frustration. "She left the _country_?! What in the world did you do to her that she had to vacate Japan entirely just to get away from you?"

Kuon said nothing and refused to meet Sho's eyes.

"You're going after her, right?"

This time, he nodded. "I have to."

"But?"

"But what?"

"I don't know, I could've sworn there was a 'but' hidden somewhere in that statement," Sho said before dismissing the thought with a wave of his hand. "Never mind, she's obviously important to you or you would've never dared to call me in the first place."

"She is," he agreed, ignoring the sound of his own pulse pounding in his ears.

"Then get your ass in gear and go get her."

Taken aback by Sho's sudden enthusiasm towards his actions, he hesitated. It made him feel itchy and weird. "Are you seriously encouraging me?"

Sho sat back down and braced his forearms against his knees before looking Kuon dead in the eye.

"Look, Kyoko can make her own decisions about what and who she wants. But you and I both know she's an incurable pleaser; you can thank her mom for that. I just figured one of these days she'd let her ridiculous notions of love and fairy tales get her trapped by some man who was just going to use her and never let her be her own person."

Kuon raised an eyebrow. "Kind of like what you did to her?"

Sho shrugged again. "Sometimes you have to lead by example."

He really wanted to ask what sort of twisted thinking could possibly justify those actions, but decided it was not the time for that particular discussion.

"So you're really okay with this?"

Picking up the guitar again, Sho plucked at one of the strings before making a fraction of a turn to its corresponding tuning peg.

"If all you wanted from Kyoko was to use her, you wouldn't be risking your career just to chase after her when you won't even go home to see your own family," he shot Kuon a pointed look. "And, before you ask, yes, I remember our conversation from last night. I wasn't that far gone."

"Then, I guess I should pack up my things."

Kuon got up and began to walk to the door. The sound of his own heartbeat had only intensified by then and he needed to get moving before it threatened to strike him deaf.

"Kansai International is probably your closest option if you're going to look for flights," Sho called out after him.

"Thanks, but I have to go back to Tokyo first."

"Why?" Sho snorted. "That's just going to waste more time."

"Well, I can't go anywhere without a passport, but there's something else I have to take care of."

Returning to his room, he saw the opened duffel bag he left on his bed after dressing for breakfast that morning. Clothes were haphazardly thrown in, with bits of sleeves and pant legs hanging out. He nearly laughed at how accurate a representation of his mental state it was.

The 'something else' he'd mentioned was still the most prominent thought that raged in his brain now that the mystery of Kyoko's disappearance had been (partially, at least) solved. It was the thought planted by his father, something he didn't realize he would have to consider seriously. Sure, he'd said all sorts of things so confidently in the video he recorded for his parents, but that was to a camera and he never declared a specific timeline.

So, he had to ask himself; was he ready? Ready to go home? Ready to rebuild the mess of a life he put on hiatus for years?

Was he ready to retire the name, and life, of Tsuruga Ren?

* * *

_DISCLAIMER: I take no responsibility for whatever shenanigans followed my chapter, but I highly encouraged them._

_Happy Holidays to all. And to all a good read._

_**~Aikori Ichijouji**_

This author can be found at:

**AO3**: _(website goes here)_ /users/Aikori_Ichijouji/pseuds/Aikori_Ichijouji

**FFN**: _(website goes here followed by a slash)_ u/228617


	5. To Give and Take In Gratitude

**TO:** _the Skip-Beat fandom_, **FROM:** _SilkHandkerchief_

* * *

**Chapter 5: To Give and Take In Gratitude**

It had been a while since Kuu Hizuri ran into a situation called for the old 'stache. The old thing had this smell reminiscent of mothballs and other scents that reminded one of the previous century, not to mention the trial it offered when it came to maintaining a sneeze-free composure. Back in the day, he picked it up at a costume store located somewhere on Santa Monica Boulevard during his first week in Hollywood. It had been a fun gag at the time, but the old dusty prop tickled his nose and made him sneeze, attracting more attention than if he would have gone without the darned thing.

Even if the people surrounding him at the arrivals terminal were giving him awkward looks due to the hilarious appearance gave him, that was still something he was happy to suffer. If there were just one movie buff on that airplane, odds would turn this pickup into an autograph signing session spurred on by good old Japanese curiosity. Frankly, Kuu might adore every single one of his loyal fans, but compared to his loved ones? There'd be no contest; his career and the resulting fame had always come second and that would never change.

The people trickling in began to appear and sound distinctly Japanese. Balding salary workers who came over for business… families that came to visit grandparents for the upcoming holidays… there were even a couple of American soldiers who had probably failed to catch a military flight befitting their needs. But finally, there she was.

Unmistakable. Even for someone raised in Japan, it would take a special girl to appear so pure and untouched in a world obsessed with artificial beauty and modern-day conveniences.

Or, he realized belatedly, maybe he had spent far too much time in the star-filled circles of American Hollywood and the artificial values it embodies. Wouldn't it be nice to go back for a proper holiday to Japan with Julie? Perhaps to visit an onsen or two? But he had promised Kuon…

With her wheeled suitcase trailing behind her, Kyoko stopped for a moment as she looked around, obviously trying to catch sight of Kuu… until her fellow grumpy travelers admonished her for blocking the exit, that is. Her face betrayed a bit of panic as the trickling human tide pushed her forward into the receiving crowds… Ah, she did mention something about not bringing her phone, didn't she? No wonder she'd feel panicked!

But then that relieved smile mixed with equal amounts of hopeless desperation showed that she had recognised him. "Daughter, it has been a while!" Kuu exclaimed while meeting her halfway, before having grabbed her into the sort of tight hug he belatedly realized would embarrass Kuon to his core when in public. Ah! It was so hard to keep them apart sometimes because of Takarada's silly meddling back then.

"Please, Hizuri-san–" she started out saying, but the distance those words implied were ear-splitting enough to Kuu to where he decided not to let go until she adjusted her mindset. "Please… please _dad_, I can't breathe!"

With the small victory under his belt, a laugh couldn't help but escape Kuu as he let go and helpfully grabbed the handle of her suitcase with one hand while wrapping his other arm familiarly around her shoulders.

"Come, let me take care of that. You've come a long way. How was your flight? Come, tell me everything–how handsome were the men that the old joker planted in your adjacent seats?"

As expected, this lured an amused laugh out of her and broke the ice a bit. If the decades spent juggling acting and parenting had taught Kuu anything, it had been that dictating the pace let him overcome all the awkwardness in force. A little push here, a little shove there, and before anyone realized, they were happily laughing at all the silly things life threw at them.

"Nothing of the sort! I had the window seat, and it was an elderly couple on the two adjacent seats. The President has been very understanding of my threatful request to stop meddling around!" Kyoko, on her part, seemed to truly believe this if her smile was anything to go by, but that made it only that much harder to… It was never a secret he was supposed to keep, was it? But he shouldn't send her fretting yet. "And what is with that horrible disguise?!"

At times like this Kuu remembered how much he truly, truly hated keeping secrets! Not yet, Kuu!

It took a considerable amount of effort for Kuu's laugh to have not taken on certain villainous tendencies as he patted her back, having chosen to conveniently ignore the final question that had hit his professional ego below the proverbial belt. "Hahaha. Come, let's cut through here." he carelessly suggested as he walks her over towards a closed door marked 'Airport Personnel Only'.

From her point of view, it was perhaps worse that there was the imposing armed guard right besides said door. "Hiz–" she muttered looking uncertainly at the guard, before he shushed her. "Look at the master at work!"

Kuu offered the guard his most confident smile, even as he can feel Kyoko take up residence in his non-existent shadow. And as he had known would happen, the man smiles back and slips his keycard by the door before opening it for them, allowing the pair to go down the restricted area of the airport. Connections were truly a nice thing to have.

"You scared me! What are you planning?" Kyoko ended up giving his shoulder a playful swat after the door closed.

"VIP Arrivals and Pickup is down this way. I would have had them bring you there the moment you landed, but traffic was busy and you had already landed by the time I reached the airport. Besides, I have a little surprise for you." Kuu could not help but hint at the surprise with a childish grin as he removed the moustache from his upper lip. The way her face turned a shader paler in a matter of moments definitely made the clue worth it. He had forgotten just how much fun she was to tease! Just that little response made it clear beyond a doubt what it was what drew Kuon to her so much.

"Another one? I'm not American, you must remember! I am just a plain Japanese girl unused to the American hustle and bustle of who belongs in the public arrival hall. Please don't scare me to death!"

He familiarly squeezed her shoulder as they finally reached the end of the hallway and exited through it to reach a small courtyard cast in sweltering shadow due to the height of the surrounding buildings. Without a doubt, the most eye-catching vehicle here was the long white limousine. "What do you think? I couldn't come and pick you up in any old beater, now could I? It is a special occasion!"

"Hi–Ku–_Dad_!"

Even as he interfered with her exasperated exclamation, Kuu wondered if it would be considered as cheating that he used the NG look on his daughter to get his way… but in the name of expediting the building of their mutual bridges, he forwent it. Family was never about rules to begin with; it was always meant to be an all-encompassing, inescapable net of love!

Having been left off the hook at long last by using the proper form of address, Kyoko finally found the footing to scold him with in return. "Really, dad! I feel so very embarrassed on your behalf right now. Any old beater would be _fine_! Perfect, even! Don't embarrass yourself so much!"

Why were his children always so straight-laced and leaning towards taking responsibility for him? Would it not be a truly depressing thought if they couldn't smile just for the sake of smiling?

Kuu repressed the innate urge to treat it as a personal failure with all his might. He had to smile and bear with it. "Oh, relax. There's nobody here right now–except for the driver, that is. See? You don't have to be embarrassed at all. The lowest windows are three floors up, see? Nobody is paying attention to us." He quickly motioned to the driver. "Enrique, can you take care of her suitcase? Thank you."

"I can take ca–okay, okay! _He_ can take care of it!" Kyoko yielded for only a moment to Kuu's overbearing ways before firing back distrustingly. "So is this where you come out with the real old beater?"

Wow, how did she know there was a second surprise? Was he getting predictable?! He could only smile dejectedly in silence as he moved to the limousine and opened the door.

"Surprise!" Julie practically shouted, jumping into view with a grin.

"Julie-sama?!"

"Call me mom!"

Kyoko laughed. "Not you, too!"

"Don't you give me that, young lady," Julie scolded. "How about a hug first and _then_ you call me mom?"

"Is that okay? Your health…"

"I am saying it is okay! Honey, what have you been telling her?!"

Kuu held his hands up. "Nothing, I swear!"

"You didn't tell her I was waiting here? No wonder! Come on in, daughter, there's plenty of room inside, and it is nicely air-conditioned, too."

"Wow, look at those champagne flutes! They are _so_ pretty!"

"You think? I like them a lot, too!"

"Of course you do, mom."

Julie whipped around to Kuu with a brilliant grin. "Honey, see? She called me mom! I didn't even have to twist her arm!"

Before long, the awkward family was catching up inside of the limousine as it drove them down one of the many Los Angeles highways toward their destination.

Nearly an hour later in the midst of a slow-moving traffic jam, the opportunity of having an awkward silence to break presented itself, and Kuu finally cleared his throat. "Kyoko, I had intended to tell you this before, but I didn't want to spoil the mood of your meeting… Kyoko, that boy already knows you're here."

It was a good thing Kyoko wasn't drinking anything just now, because her response was as startled and animated as her unique charms made him expect it to be.

"What?! That's way too early? What the hell is the President doing? I told him I needed a week! A _week_! Not twenty-four hours!" she screeched. "What the hell is he thinking?! Oh god… That irresponsible meddling man child, couldn't he just stop himself just this once?!"

Kuu and Julie exchanged glances, shaking their heads. Someone needed to take on the coveted role of 'parent' and calm Kyoko down–and Kuu really wanted that job. In the end, and his disappointment, Julie was quicker with her words. "It's not exactly his fault, dear. Kuon called in a panic after he had found out you'd left Japan, and by accident he also overheard me mention the airport. If you want to blame anyone, blame us. It is our fault, love."

Kyoko, however, was quick to shake her head. "How could I blame you, mom? No, no, no. Definitely not! It is just that meddlesome President and that meddlesome man teaming up. I underestimated them! I completely underestimated them!"

At that moment, Kuu swore Kyoko would have been happy to blame him if the situations were reversed. Perhaps he was imagining things. He'd always been competitive when it came to earning his children's affection, but she only knew Julie for minutes!

There was no way he could allow Julie to keep pulling ahead like this, could he? Definitely not; he had to interrupt their little tête-à-tête before he was shut out entirely!

"Okay… since we are suddenly so short on time, perhaps you should finally tell us about the emergency you mentioned? You were even willing to inconvenience us asking us to clear our schedules for you, and that is not remotely like the girl I met in Japan at all. We are both worried about you."

The awkward blush that colored Kyoko's cheeks had the capacity of turning heads–Kuu realized just how much trouble this daughter's blissful unawareness must have brought Kuon during these last few years. And by extension, it explained why Takarada was so obsessed with this girl to where he started an entire department just to play around and polish her to be the up-and-coming actress she had become today.

Were it not for Julie's gentle touch of reminder interrupting him, he might have gotten stuck pondering the charm of this girl that defied conventional description.

"Well, I had a talk with 'him' the other day. It left me with a lot of thoughts, some of which I must admit really troubles me. I have been really busy lately–my career feels as if it is strapped to a rocket sometimes with the way it is taking off," Kyoko said, provoking a spell of laughter in the luxury limousine's passenger compartment. "And I realized that it gets in the way of the things I care about. Some things shouldn't be left for the distant future. You have both shown me a lot of kindness, grace, patience and even the kind of parental love I never experienced before. For all of the warmth and love those who raised me may have offered me, there was always an implicit understanding. An exchange of favors, so to say, that pleased everyone. I was their 'daughter' out of everyone's convenience–my own included. The me back then was very happy, but as they say: ignorance is bliss."

The pause that filled the limousine is telling, and only the slow yet rhythmic kachunk-kachunk of the concrete highway plates broke up the monotony with a monotony of their own. Even Kuu knew better than to intrude on the tears the girl was battling behind her eyelids.

"So, before it is not possible anymore, I wanted to say 'thank you'. Thank you for being selfless. Thank you for being welcoming. And even though it is a few weeks late, I wanted to do this by celebrating Thanksgiving with the two of you. I asked the Okami and Taisho for help to prepare a suitable dish, but security confiscated it at the airport in Tokyo." Her voice wobbled.

A heartrending smile that gave one the impression of a girl at the end of her wit slipped over her features, and Julie was the one to grab and hold her in a hug long before Kuu could.

"An–and now I can't even o–offer that anymooore…" The pathetic cry that burst out was muffled in the warm bosom of familial love. Several minutes passed before she finally managed to calm down enough to where they could talk without tears getting in the way.

Struck by an idea, Kuu chuckled softly as he brushed his hand through Kyoko's hair. "Honey, this is America. We'll make it the most special dinner you have ever had; I promise." Even though there was not much response from his daughter–did he truly appear as that unreliable of a parent?–it would not be enough to keep him from knocking on the glass privacy wall separating them from the driver and offering some instructions after it slid down a few centimeters.

Ten minutes later, the car had pulled over in a parking lot, but other than Kuu, the ladies had been too busy talking to take notice. Suddenly, the driver opened the door with several bags of food under his arms, the many scents of which immediately saturated the air in the passenger compartment. "I am sorry for the delay Sir and Madams–the limousine does not fit in the drive-thru, so I took the liberty of ordering based on the occasion."

Kuu offered his self-confident cocky grin at Kyoko's flabbergasted expression even as he passed the bag on to Julie, who appeared to take an excessive amount of enjoyment out of partaking in this typically American activity. Kuu's confusion quickly made way for a realization: between Julie's career and her so-called health issues, when was just digging into random fast food with her ever an option that crossed his mind? It would truly be a most special dinner now!

"Oh…! I still have a bottle of rice wine in my suitcase that they didn't confiscate; let me contribute that to our dinner at least!" Kyoko had finally returned to a more positive outlook, even if her eyes were still stained red with the color of true emotion.

Kuu couldn't help but reach out to ruffle Kyoko's hair again, but on this occasion, she knew how to dodge properly. Julie laughed.

"Don't doubt your old man, okay? Everything is possible!" Despite the way the two women chose to ignore his boasting as they started dissecting and assigning burgers based on their ingredients and nutritional value, he didn't mind in the slightest. Their mouths are full, and the light has returned to their eyes. What else could a family man want?

Not even the traffic jams that slowed down the journey home could change the mirth felt inside this mobile dining room of gratitude.

Thirty minutes and three happy tummies later, Kuu couldn't help but return to the old habit of sticking his foot in his mouth. "It is a shame Kuon wasn't here." It was the wrong thing to say– he knew how much it would get Julie down the moment it slipped out of his mouth.

But Kyoko, on the other hand, shook her head and laughed at his thoughtless comment as she joked. "That would have made it so very awkward, don't you think?"

Thankfully, Julie only barely suppressed her chuckle before she too chimed in. "You don't know, but Hizuri's excel in awkward. It is an acquired taste that I fear will do me in someday!"

At this, all of them could not help but burst out into another fit of laughter to where Kuu inwardly counted his blessings for managing to overcome Julie's negative taboo subject by utter fluke.

Then, the obnoxiously loud noise of the Yakety Sax streamed into the compartment from within Kuu's pocket. While he fished the phone out of his pocket under Kyoko's inquisitive gaze, he figured he might as well answer the call and set it to speakerphone. The wonderful sounds of a full-fledged mariachi band with all present flood into the compartment.

"You are in a good mood, aren't you?" Kuu greeted the man jovially as he put his phone down in between the various wrappers. He made sure that the kindness hidden in his voice would be so heavily coated in acid that even Lory would realize he's in no mood for his disruptive antics.

"Oh, come on now. We go back so far, and haven't I always looked after your son as if he were my own? Where's the love, Kuu? The _love_?"

"Unlike your lifestyle that resembles a sprinkler of pollen, my life is already fulfilled and firmly rooted. You're calling for Mogami-san, right? Speak your–"

"Mogami-san?" Lory barked out a laugh. "Come now, Kuu, that's both crude and rude coming from you. She'll already have you whispering 'Kyoookoo-chan' by now, I am sure. She's my Love Me #1, after all!"

"You are on speakerphone, President. Please stop meddling and tooting your own horn." Kyoko finally spoke up with a dark expression on her face, which then led to a tittering from Julie.

"Oh, wonderful. You're much more fun than that old has-been! Say, Ruto just finished Jelly's itinerary and she'll probably be over there with you in the morning, but you'll need to arrange her stay yourself. Do you know she's begun asking for me to return the favors, just because it involves you? As expected of #1, you are truly an expensive woma–."

All of a sudden, the mariachi band was gone. The dark expression on Kyoko's face was nowhere to be seen after she turned Kuu's phone off for him; all that remained was that wonderful warm service expression that makes any person feel sunny inside. "The President is probably suffering from heatstroke because he's been dancing excessively. Please don't mind his free way of speaking."

Kuu couldn't possibly stomach the imagery in front of him and bursts out into laughter all over again. "Honey, he was the best man at my wedding. We're well aware of his 'condition' and you don't have to… Well, that." He mimicked Kyoko pressing the 'disconnect' button in an exaggerated way before leaning into Julie in his merriment to find some composure. Not even the passive service smile on Kyoko's features managed to remain without cracks; the laughter was simply too contagious for her to not chuckle along.

But sometimes it took a woman to get to the heart of things, and Julie truly was Kuu's better half in that regard. While he was still trying to get ahold of himself, she broke the silence. "What is really going on, hon? Just one dinner wouldn't make you implore us to clear our week's schedule, would it? Even _I_ know you well enough to know you are not one to impose on others like that!"

Those words were like a bucket of cold water and completely took the merriment out of Kyoko again as she took a deep breath. "Eh…" She blushed awkwardly, drooping her head down and glancing at her lap as her fingers idly fiddled with the paper napkins from her meal. "I didn't want to say until… well, the third day at least," she admitted with a soft voice before eventually looking up at the two with emboldened starry eyes. "I want the help of the best to prepare for the role of my dreams. And I've always been told that accomplishment is achieved by wholeheartedly making use of all the resources I have available… So I want to selfishly rely on the two of you for this week… crap. Day? Two days at best?"

Stars quickly made way for cloudy gloom again. "I've been trying to decide for months on whether I should even pursue this role, and then the other night that talk with him reminded me that if I could convince the great legend–" Her voice lifted in pitch a little as she stared expectantly towards Kuu, blessing him with the discomfort of goosebumps. "Then… I'd truly, really go for it. Because it is a role I really, _really_ want."

"All this mess… is for… a role?" Kuu blinked confusedly as he uttered the words absent-mindedly. He had not seen that one coming. Not after everything Kuon had told him! Wasn't she supposed to be running away from him? But instead, she was running towards a role that she fancied? By God, that poor son of his…

Kuu couldn't help but hide his face in his hands as he slumped forwards, not sure if he would end up crying or laughing in schadenfreude if he looked at Kyoko right now.

"Dear, honey told me many times of your struggles back when he was in Japan. As actors, we are all very susceptible to only desiring the roles that we are innately drawn to. Is this one of those fatal roles for you?" Julie inquired. Her face had taken on a more serious expression.

Kuu knew what she knew just as well: careers were built on the roles an actor dislikes. How could one possibly understand the breadth of the emotional palate if one has never experienced adversity?

Kyoko sighed with an adroit nod. "That is why I've been trying not to think of it and kept myself busy with work for the past six months," she explained curtly. "But whatever indecision I had is finally meeting the wall of reality where they truly want an answer, and I can't just… keep ignoring it and hoping it goes away."

Kuu noted that her eyes avoided his, instead, looking toward Julie with a burning desire for guidance. Had Kuu been too harsh on her in the past? Or was he simply not serious enough for her to look at him for further career advice?

"I will regret not doing anything far more when I see some other woman in that role someday in the future if I believe I could have done better. It will eat at me day and night!"

Julie sighed softly, her hand reaching out to Kyoko's. "So… what is the role about?" Since Kyoko didn't immediately answer, Julie gave Kuu a glance.

"Is it a princess? Or a fairy? Is there anyone in the cast that you like?" Kuu inquired, adding in a bit of a joke at the end which led to Kyoko clenching her jaw as she looked at him.

"No princesses. Or fairies. I swear I am serious here, please don't treat my resolve lightly." she muttered with a red face.

"I'm sorry–I believe you. But you came to us, so how can _we_ help? And even the famous Makeup Witch is coming, which shows that even the sufferer of Cupid-syndrome is treating it as a big thing for your career. He doesn't worry about the actual outcome though–he is all about enabling your personal growth, regardless of the consequences," Kuu kindly counseled his daughter. "On the other hand, responsible parents like us don't want to see you throw your career into the trash bin over a rash decision just so you can have one or two more life experiences. Kyoko, you must know that the way to the bottom is both faster and far rougher than the one that takes your career to the top!"

Kyoko nodded slowly, allowing silence to fill the compartment.

"So why does Jelly Woods have to come of all people? Is it a time-limited audition? Hollywood has plenty of talent if they need someone for visual casting."

Kyoko sighed deeply once more. "I… well, it all comes down to the role. Ignoring the role, let's just say Muse-sama is in love with me… my face, that is. She treats me like a walking canvas for her to have fun with, and the President rarely tells her 'no' because of all the ways she puts up with him. Honestly, I don't understand how she can still be that passionate about makeup. Hasn't she done everything already?" Awkward chuckles followed the question, but thankfully she did not ask them to explain. Explaining away the obvious is an exercise of awkwardness. "I first informed the President, simply because I couldn't commit to wholeheartedly chasing the mere opportunity without his help giving me the room I need to breathe. I know that when my friends repeatedly knock on my door with their well-meant advice, that will only gnaw away at my resolve in the end. There's no way I can just pretend to be strong and confident to them when even they think I am reaching beyond my capacity like a fool!"

The girl clenched her hands into fists and Kuu found her staring into his eyes. "Like the President says: 'some failures have to be your own', so I need to conquer this challenge myself. But the two of you are the second number I dialed because I need to convince you two most of all if I am to even convince myself that I can do it." She paused for a moment, looking out of the window with a sigh. "I had really hoped the President would keep a certain someone busy for a few days with stupid little tasks like babysitting moody actresses and signing autographs for smitten fans. I already know how he'll respond, but right now his presence will only complicate things." A deeper sigh escaped her. "I should have known the President couldn't stand for things to be boring for a few days! That stupid Lovemon!"

Kyoko burst out in a sudden growl before realizing her surroundings, and somehow, she yet again managed to bond with the Hizuri's by drowning in shared laughter.

Long after their departure from the airport, they finally arrived at the Hizuri house. They would have covered this distance in half the time, but one could never actually expect Los Angeles traffic to actually move along. The sun had disappeared into the hills by the time they stepped from the car, draping the orange and pink sky in the curtain of night. Kyoko's jaw dropped.

"This is a house? Is my English that bad? Isn't this a palace?!" she exclaimed, giving Kuu's inner ego a considerable boost.

"It could maybe be a mansion if you start getting technical, but to us, it is just home. It is a bit on the large side for us to live in, but that is because the smog gets rather heavy downtown when there is no wind, and with Julie's health being what it is we quite appreciate whatever nature and fresh air we can get. But we need our luxuries: it is nice to swim and exercise without having to drive to some place thirty minutes away. Besides, there is no way Julie could function in the morning without three walk-in closets–OWW, honey!" Kuu exclaimed pitifully as his hand rubbed his arm where Julie had just pinched it.

"Don't listen to him. We wanted a home theatre for movie nights with friends, and I also had to give up a small part of the garden because he likes to do his improvisation on a real stage under the burning sun. Walls limit his spirit, this airhead claimed." Kuu shoulder nudged his wife at this counterjab of hers but wisely kept his mouth shut after the previous pinch. "Fine, it is not completely his fault." Julie corrected herself with a smile. "He just wanted a nice lawn and a shed for some of the things he might need. Someone else was the one to go overboard. Regardless, large gardens and large homes go hand in hand in this part of America when you value your privacy."

Why was Kyoko giving them such a distrustful stare?

"I finally understand where he got his illusions of noble grandeur from," she muttered tongue-in-cheek before starting to gather the trash they had built up inside the limousine during their past few hours.

"Daughter, leave it. It is the driver's responsibility to clean his car." Kyoko offered him a disturbed glance. Kuu grinned. Was that too star-like for her taste? Too irresponsible? Kuu leaned in to quickly explain in a hushed voice. "He can charge us more money that way; his company does not permit tipping." He cleared his throat. "Oh, Enrique, could you bring her luggage to the front door? We'll take care of the rest tonight. Thank you for your hard work today. Be careful on your way home."

"Of course, Mister Hizuri. Thank you." The man started to go about his business as Kuu began to lead the way to the house. But he was the only one and quickly came to a stop when he found that Julie had held Kyoko back.

"Dear, isn't it about time you stop dodging the question?" She kindly asked Kyoko.

"What question?" Kyoko responded with an almost comically perfect example of a knee-jerk reaction, the tone of her voice betraying the certain dread that implied she knew exactly what Julie was inquiring about.

"What is the role you are chasing?" Julie asked patiently.

"Have I been dodging it? I was having so much fun…"

"For the love of… Please don't insult us by trying to bullshit professional bullshitters, Kuo–Kyoko. It doesn't work!" Kuu cut in with an exasperated groan that was only worsened by the slip of his tongue.

"Fine, fine! I yield, okay? I'm not sure how to explain, though. There's just so much going on!" Kyoko's frustrated response matched his own intensity, and it led Julie to step in.

"So, why don't you show us?" Kyoko's brow furrowed and Julie laughed. "Why not try out my husband's playground? Someone might as well use it for once. Besides, he quite enjoys showing it off to his guests, so you'd do him a favor." She pulled Kyoko toward the theater's path without waiting for a reply.

Kyoko's tight-lipped smile accompanied a silent nod that Kuu could easily read as uncertainty and perhaps being ill-prepared. But… if she was fully prepared for the role, she wouldn't be here to begin with, would she?

"Please relax, Kyoko. We're not monsters. We're not incapable either. I promise you we are barely talented enough to improvise whatever roles you need us to perform in order to show off your progress developing the role." He tried his best to put her at ease, yet somehow her steps have only gotten stiffer after that comment. Seriously, he couldn't even put a young actress at ease anymore? What happened to his many charms?

"Julie mentioned the shed, right? We've got plenty of props in there. There are also some wicked bikes in the garage. Did I mention we even have a pair of dune buggies? Perhaps not fit for the stage, but come on, it will be fun!" He continued to egg her on, but quickly found she wasn't listening to begin with.

Oh. Right.

That entire thing was just so ludicrous–and yet he had already grown accustomed to it.

"Kyoko Mogami, I'd like you to welcome you to my humble theater. We hope it fulfills your needs for this beautiful night." Kuu motioned out to a swath of inky black where the shadows consumed his amphitheater in the sunset. Kyoko opened her mouth and closed it again as his free hand flipped a lever.

KA-CHUNK!

Bright lights illuminated the dark as stadium lights flickered to life. The area shone as if the sun never set at all and remained high in the sky. Kuu and Julie laughed as Kyoko ran down the steps of the bowl, her jaw dropped in a drawn-out gasp.

"What exactly about this is small?" Kyoko exclaimed as she looked onto the stage of his half-moon shaped Greco-Roman styled amphitheater. Unwittingly, the actress in her took a few eager steps down the rough limestone blocks before turning around. "What the…?" Words escaped her at last, as this place tends to do on a first visit. "How many people does it seat, even?!"

"You don't want to know," Kuu responded with a grin. "It was Takarada's gift for our wedding back in the day. Do you really think our taste is this outlandish? No–the man was set on laying every stone of the stage itself with his own poor hands, claiming that it would bring us good fortune. That's all nonsense of course, but a good twenty years later, any time he needs a favor he puts on the pity act about the blisters, cuts, scrapes and other health problems he accumulated for our benefit. Worse: we can't exactly prove him wrong either! We have a good son–and now a daughter too, our careers are fruitful, and we all love each other very much." Kuu explained with a lighthearted laugh as he began to lead Julie down the steps.

"And you let him?!" Kyoko exclaimed in surprise, her eyes appearing as if they might perhaps fall out of their sockets at a moment's notice as she took it all in.

"He obviously paid for the materials, and also provided the labor and design. We weren't quite as well-off then as we are today, so we figured no harm could possibly come from letting him surprise us as he desired. As long as it is functional, right?" Kuu responded with a nonchalant smile. "It is how we learned he is the most frustrating kind of generous friend one can have. He's the type of person who doesn't understand the concept of 'no' and firmly believes that everything can be improved. Everything is good… until it's not quite as good anymore. Then it's time for a replacement." He rolled his eyes. "We planned a simple black-box theater and the next thing we knew, a contractor was scoping out the garden for this thing." The chuckle that escaped Kyoko put Kuu's fears to rest; he wasn't quite inept at handling a nervous actress just yet.

Yet walking down the stairs, it did not take long for the nervousness to claw its way into the young actress again. Clearly heavier measures were in order.

One quick step sideways to step behind Julie, and then bending through his knees before lifting from the hips as he swooped his wife up into a princess-carry. "Let's make sure we get down there before it's too late, shall we?" Kuu teasingly called out before confidently hopping down the remaining dozen steps with a confidence that Julie's scream betrayed was not shared by her. "We wouldn't want to keep you up all night after a long day of travel."

After Kuu put his wife down in the middle of the stage while stealing a quick peck from her flustered cheeks, the marital bickering began in full. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kyoko's smile falter–was that trepidation?–as she watched them. He dropped his voice and turned back to Julie with a megawatt smile.

"I won't do it again, my love. I promise." Kuu truly tried his hardest to settle the argument he clearly considered smaller than she did, but with the entire amphitheater serving as a natural amplifier for all the sounds coming from the stage, it was hard to truly make any argument smaller in scale.

"Do you want me to die, honey? I can already see the light at the end of the tunnel in my dreams, so if you want to shove me into that tunnel–"

"I know, honey, but I am not an old man yet–I am still as fit and limber as I was back then. I won't drop you and you won't die such a silly death–I wouldn't dare! So can we please, please let Kyoko have the stage?"

After Julie reluctantly let him off with a snort that promised a future reckoning, Kuu addressed the young actress. "What do you need us to do? Is it fine like this?" He puffed up his chest and stood at attention the best he could. But not seeing a response, he once again tried to lift up his wife who, being well aware of his antics at this point, stepped aside with a laugh forced for their company. "We'll talk about this tonight, honey. You still owe me a talk about the font to use on my gravestone…"

The threat alone was enough to make Kuu back off from dragging Julie into any more of his jokes, so instead, he firmly put his attention on Kyoko.

"Please. Just… be yourselves… with the limitation that there might be photographers hiding in the bushes trying to make you tomorrow's headline, okay?" Kyoko awkwardly attempted to smooth over the minor marital dispute away from the ongoing comedic bent before shaking her head. "I'll just enter the scene from the side, and you can just respond as you will, okay?"

Kuu furrowed his brows and exchanged a glance with Julie, but it was not the right time to discuss this. They nodded, and Kyoko wandered off towards the side of the stage.

There, Kuu observed Kyoko taking a deep breath. And another. And yet another. To build up her courage and, without a doubt, to find the right state of mind. She must still have been in the early stages of developing her character–but knowing her talent, Kuu gave her a week at most before she got the transition down at the snap of her fingers.

And then, looking like an odd mix of self-confident and scaredy-cat, she finally joined the two Hizuri's on stage.

Her movements were awkward, yet the steps were planted firmly onto the stone. Determination shone in the way her jaw clenched in unison with the fists that had grabbed the hem of her skirt.

She was still over a dozen steps away when their eyes locked. She was not dodging his gaze, Kuu noted. The way Julie leaned in against him betrayed that she too had noticed Kyoko's emotional intensity.

They were in this together, then. Them, two of the most veteran actors, against her, a promising young actress.

Did she believe that a confrontation was the way to prove herself? Or was it exactly this that the role needs?

Who exactly was Kyoko, to have become such a contrary bubble of awkwardness?

Kyoko's pace slowed and five steps away, she came to a stop in front of them.

Not a word was spoken. Just gazes exchanged. Right as he was about to open his mouth to take the lead in this confrontation, Julie's gentle squeezing of his hand silenced his intention instantly. Yet it still broke the gaze he had held on the girl all this time, instinctively wanting to take a look at his wife to see what she had picked up on that he had not. Oh, wife? They were acting out a couple, aren't they? He hadn't even realized, but it fit the flow.

Alas: Kyoko was still that enigma of unpredictability, and he never made it quite far enough to realize the implications of that realization.

His eyes were pulled back to Kyoko as if they were on a leash, seeing the most fluent, most self-punishing movement sure to wreck older knees upon the hard stone of the stage. Kyoko's head was firmly pressed against the floor to match, and it was the shouting voice that was strengthened by the echoing qualities of the amphitheater that allowed her shouting to echo through the night.

"Forgive me, mother-in-law, father-in-law, for forcing the issue and absconding you and he who is your son into an unplanned wedding without asking anyone's permission!" Kyoko yelled. "If you don't agree, you'll break his heart and I'll keep him safely away from you forever because he deserves a happy future more than this sordid history!"

She took a deep breath and dropped her voice to a regular volume. "Please don't make me do that!"

* * *

_From the beginning, I was the hostage who had no say about being roped into this, and as such I had made it very clear to everyone involved that I considered it my task to ruin whatever romantic plot devices they had set up to progress the story. Silkie does as Silkie does, which is to avoid mushy RenKyo shipping by all means necessary… right?_

_But it turned out we hadn't really gotten around to defining some of the most important meaty bits despite being halfway through. Those after me can't begin to wrap up a story that hasn't even identified what started it all, right?_

_I got a bit carried away while filling in the blanks (sorry ncisduckie, you had so much to edit!) all while cackling like a Grinch about my evil plans, which I think may have upset my successor just a little._

_Sorry, lovely batontaker– of all the things you dreaded during the few days I steered this ship you probably never even considered this twist!_

_Despite being abducted, it was my honor to slave away with all of these highly talented individuals, and a pleasure to wrap up the resulting Frankenfic for everyone to enjoy._

_Happy Holidays, and the best wishes for 2020!_

_P.S.: Has every lurker done His/Her original santa tradition as greatness expects? Lovingly overdone, venerating every desire In tradition?_

_**~SilkHandkerchief**_

This author can be found at:

**AO3**: _(website goes here)_ /users/SilkHandkerchief

**FFN**: _(website goes here followed by a slash)_ u/9818686


	6. The Noblest Gamble

**TO:** _the Skip-Beat fandom_, **FROM:** _mimagfan_

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Noblest Gamble**

Kuu gaped. Julie giggled.

_When he will know this…_ thought Kuu.

"Get up from the ground," Kuu said severely, nearly growling his words.

He stared darkly at his daughter prostrated to the ground with bubbling laughter stuck in his throat and turned to his wife with knowing mirth in his eye. _My son's hand has just been asked in marriage…_

Kyoko stood up tensely but looking fiercely determined in her eyes.

"Are you threatening to prevent us to see our son, Kyoko? When you know we haven't seen him in years?" Kuu added with the most hurtful and angry voice he could muster.

Kyoko buckled at the accusation but stood her ground when she looked back with tears in her eyes. "If I must. I've been struggling and struggling to accept his ridiculous words until we talked," Kyoko breathed quietly. "But after that, nothing mattered anymore. My plainness, my issues… all of it… it didn't matter… Because I finally saw him… I understood!" Kyoko roared with passion.

"But no matter the difficulty or the pain it will cause he and I, I won't hesitate to leave both of you behind if you can't accept him. All of him and his choices." Kyoko glared at them. She was defying them to answer, and Kuu couldn't help the proudness pouring out from his heart.

"Meaning me too," she continued. "As against all expectations, I'm one of those choices."

Kuu stood abashed by her declaration; she carried herself and stood in front of them defending Kuon in her own uniqueness.

"The role I'm playing is only my future reality, whether you like it or not. As long as I'm what he wants, and he is what I want, I intend to marry him and I will be his wife," Kyoko continued, colored from head to toe but still as passionately as before.

_You sure will,_ thought Kuu. _And you will be the most adorable and fiery one…_

"As long as I'm what he wants," Kyoko repeated, "you will have to bear with me because I will never leave."

_My poor boy… You are so done for…_ echoed in Kuu's head happily.

"Are you officially demanding Kuon's hand of us?" Kuu asked, hiding his inner glee with much difficulty to pretend a disapproving tone.

Kyoko's nose turned so red she could have been Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer incarnate, but still she looked straight into their eyes as she replied, her gaze tender and incandescent.

"Yes!" she shouted.

_We should have recorded this…_ thought Kuu as his eyes lit with false fury and indignation. It was the best proposal he had ever seen in his life and it was done by his daughter. The blushes of his son would never end, he was sure of it. They would talk about the preciousness of this until the end of time.

"And you assume you are worthy of our son?" scoffed Julie, entering the game at last. Kuu could tell she wasn't as happy as he was.

He saw his daughter gulp air in and out as she made a step forward to them. Her ability to overpower people through sheer will was properly intimidating. She was frightening even him a bit.

"I think I can, yes. I know what I feel and I also know I need to protect him," she stated.

"And you expected us to believe that?" asked Kuu, pained that she could think they could willingly hurt their son.

"Why are you trying to protect him from us?!" Julie howled. "How can you think so little of us?"

Kyoko sighed, shaking her head. "I had hoped to have more time. I'm sorry for saying this."

"What are you trying to say?!" Julie asked, outraged. "That we are bad parents?! That we don't care what happened to him?! You weren't there. We have spent years waiting for him! We adore him! We would do anything for him!" Julie screamed.

"You are loving parents," she agreed. "But you weren't good for who he was, for his sensibility. You didn't understand him and his struggles. So I'm here to make sure that you will understand or that you will stay away even if it will banish me from your hearts. It needs to be done," she said, her eyes sorrowful but not bulging. "This… will be my role as his future partner."

"To protect him," she continued. "Even from the ones with the best intentions in the world," she whispered with the saddest look in her eyes.

Kuu stared, scared by her defiance and mistrustful attitude. No matter how he shifted the notions in his head, he couldn't understand why she would think she had to protect him from them. On the other hand, it was true they hadn't really understood Kuon and hadn't always been available.

Kuu looked back at her, all pain evaporated and much more calmed. "What do you mean?" he asked.

He saw her as she stood in front of them and balled her hands into fists, struggling against herself for control.

"There is one thing, one thing I couldn't accept when we talked. In his entire horrific story. The only one. The one that provoked all of this," she said.

Kuu was ready to prompt her to continue, to protest because she didn't explain further but next words finally crossed her lips in a raging murmur.

"He sees himself as a monster."

Kuu furrowed his brow, not getting it. Kyoko, seeing his perplexity and that of Julie, growled aloud.

"You, at this very moment, not even getting it is the proof…"

"The proof of what?!" asked Julie with growing impatience.

"The proof you had no idea whatsoever of what it did to him… Of his state after it happened," Kyoko said, not clarifying the least for them.

Between Julie's impatience and growing irritation and his confusion, Kuu felt he had to do something before Julie jumped at Kyoko for insinuating she was a bad mom.

"Kyoko, sorry, but we don't understand what you are trying to say. Can you be a little more clear?" he requested.

"He thinks he's a murderer!" Kyoko shouted angrily as tears run down her pain-wrinkled face. "After all this time, all he went through to build himself back. He still thinks he's a murderer. A monster. Did you even know this? Did you even know how he thought of himself and how he's still thinking this, right now?!"

Too shocked to react, neither Kuu nor Julie could utter a word. What she was saying didn't make sense. Kuon knew it was an accident. Right?

"He deserves so much more than this half-life of self-blame, of mourning. He never forgave himself for what happened to Rick. He accepted it made him what he is today. Accepted that maybe it couldn't be avoided. But never once stopped believing it was his fault, going as far as forbidding himself happiness."

"I couldn't let him do that any longer. I couldn't." She finished at last, worn out by her emotional speech.

"It's impossible Kyoko. Kuon knew it was an accident. He saw it himself. Rick was run over by some stranger as he ran after Kuon to help him. He knew this perfectly. He wouldn't do that to himself," Kuu said, refusing to believe it.

"How would you know, dad?!" Kyoko countered. "From what I know, he isn't the kind to open up about his troubles. And from someone who was so wary of worrying his own too-busy parents to even tell them when he was being bullied. How can you know that no matter what he saw, he interpreted the same way as you. Why do you think he's still not here after all these years now, back with you? It's not because of his capacity as an actor, that's for sure! It's because of his own loathing against his person." She paused. "He told me himself. He told me he was a murderer and asked me if I could still accept him!" Kyoko cried in anguish.

Kuu didn't find the words. He couldn't process what she just told him. He couldn't deny it either. Because it made sense. Because everything and anything made sense if he accepted that. But to accept it would also mean that not only would he not have understood Kuon but he wouldn't have seen the tremendous amount of pain hiding inside of his son either. Making him unable to help when his son needed it the most.

A silent tear rolled down his cheek as he finally accepted the unbearable truth.

Julie howled.

"So I did this. I engineered all of this," Kyoko hiccupped as she confessed her plan, much earlier than she thought but nonetheless relieved to be able to do so. "I couldn't let him keep doing that to himself."

"So I left. I needed time to convince you and talked to you. I didn't think he would worry right away and chase after me. But I had hoped that when the time would have come, it could have helped him go to that direction. That if I had told him later on that I was here, it could have been the last little push to–" she faltered.

"I made a huge gamble on the strength of his feelings," Kyoko continued. "Hoping it would be enough to make him travel the distance. Hoping he was ready to… take back his original appearance. To come back to you. And for that, the best way was to go to both of you and… and confront you to be sure that when he comes, you'll be ready for him."

Kyoko scrambled out to them with a cry as tears rolled down on her face and her nails attached to tightly interlocked hands, scratching her wrists as she tried to maintain her posture and their gaze even though she couldn't see them anymore with all the water pouring off her eyes.

"And now, I know… there.. there is a high risk I might–might… have lost both… of you along… with him," Kyoko bawled, not able to look at them anymore.

Instantly, two pairs of arms surrounded her, glued her to their warm bodies and hushed her cries with soothing gentle voices.

His heart swelled as Kuu memorized her very words to keep them as a treasure for later, to repeat to his son and himself through the years to come. He couldn't believe Kuon's luck. To find someone so devoted to you the person was ready to fight with your family was uncanny, a rarity. But in this case, it was a miracle. Because, no matter how much he could blame himself, it wouldn't save his son. But she could; she was already doing it. She had fought with them, showed them the important part of Kuon's psyche they hadn't seen. What could have prevented them from ever seeing him again?

Kuu couldn't yet believe he hadn't seen the signs. He had even acted as a soldier being a lone survivor and not being able to take it. But no, he had been completely blind.

He smiled fondly into the crown of his daughter's head. They were meant to be. Each was healing the other's wounds, different wounds where the other was stronger. _They will be okay._

He looked at Julie and she nodded knowingly.

_If they are together, they will be okay…_

"You pass with honors," Kuu declared all of a sudden taking a step back to look at his daughter; the playfulness back in his eyes.

With eyes puffy and red from crying so much, she blinked at him in confusion, completely lost at the words her father just got out.

"I pass?" she squeaked.

"Yup! You do," Kuu said, biting back a smile. "You will be the perfect wife and partner for Kuon."

Kyoko gaped at him, apparently not expecting anything of the sort, not so soon, not without a shitty bloodbath.

Kuu continued, well-aware of the shock he was causing and thoroughly enjoying it. "Henceforth, I solemnly give you the hand of my son to cherish forever," he announced to the most abashed face known of the universe covering the visage of his daughter and the chuckles of Julie as he shook her hand with useless ceremony.

"Now if my son could hasten back so that we could go to the chapel…" Kuu said teasingly as he headed back inside with Kyoko's suitcase in his hand. "I now understand the excitement Lory showed earlier, sneaky one."

He was entering the house when he saw his daughter's legs had abandoned her and she dropped to the ground.

Jelly got out of the plane as fast as she could, staying as stylish as possible without running but so close to breaking into a run. The fly had been a wreck and a mess. The boy had been so agitated and sullen it had been nearly impossible to use her magic to tend to his hair and preserve it before embarking.

He was fidgeting and most of the time sad and downright angry, scary angry. She had never seen him like that. She could have sworn she heard him curse in several languages.

Things akin to, "I'm gonna strangle him" and "Damn, dad" but also other things he repeated so much Jelly finally figured out what he was saying was Russian even if she didn't know what it meant.

Jelly considered herself one of her best of her profession. Some had stated she was doing magic and the cute Kyoko even called her a witch. For her sake she couldn't refute it completely because it was too endearing. If she was being honest with herself, she even kind of liked it.

But even for the witch some things weren't fixable. He had been fidgeting so much, so very much.

She had been taking such an immense care of the national treasure those hairs were, but he just had to move. She was cutting the ends at that time. A big strand had flown for a second under their astonished eyes, rising like a star, then falling at their feet. Jelly was ashamed to say she had screamed bloody murder but no matter how much she had tried to fix it, it had been impossible.

The most unnerving thing had been the damn boy had just shrugged and said he was gambling far worse than hair so she could just shave him bald. He had even tried to take the razor. Jelly had promised on her reputation nothing of the sort would be seen and that she would fix this.

Nonetheless, her reputation took a stain. Even if she was the only one that cared, she was at least horrified and would always have to acknowledge that she failed that time; no matter what, a unique spike could be seen in his locks pointing to the sky from time to time.

That messed-up boy had laughed at his messed-up hair stating it fitted his mental state.

Jelly had watched him mumble and calculate obscure things for most of the flight when she wasn't sleeping. His eyes were red and surrounded by a more and more bluish tone. It was like he was running on pure electricity.

After a very crowded and most uncomfortable travel in a shuttle out bus, they were dropped off and went looking for an available taxi. While Jelly couldn't help the acid remarks about sweating and the discomfort of the bud, she had noticed the boy wasn't really there, just fisting his hands and looking at the faraway distance, his jaw locked and ready to go to the battle.

When a taxi finally pulled over, he opened the door for Jelly. She wondered how he could still manage to be polite in his mindset. It was his turn to get in, but first he stopped to declare to the sky:

"I'm coming, dad. You will not keep me away from her."

"I hope your dad is a soft one or you might want to prepare mentally for the battle," she said.

He smirked, still tired, still desperate but for once since _she_ disappeared he seemed excited. Jelly saw him rubbing his hands with a ferocious grin for a while.

"I'm totally prepared for that; I have every intention to fight my way in the castle even if it means punching my own dad." She heard him whisper.

_What a dreadful boy… I pity the welcome his dad is going to receive… Anyone that comes between those two is risking their life…_

"Lovers are such a frightening thing," Jelly mumbled.

"What?"

Jelly shook her head before starting again.

"So, you have strength to fight the dragon protecting the dungeon at the entrance of the castle… but do you have the means to woo the captive princess to your affections?" Jelly demanded in genuine curiosity; though, after seeing her darling doing it so many times she was also enjoying bullying the boy a little.

His face paled as much as a human body is capable of and he shouted to the driver. "We need to make a few stops!"

Jelly smirked but pretended indifference when he turned back to her, still half-dead but more worked up than ever before.

* * *

_Hi to all of you readers that will have the chance to read this craziness called common fic._

_I hope you won't have too much dental decay with my chapter. The fluffiness was unavoidable to me after the beautiful proposal Black served to me on a plate._

_I had a lot of fun writing this with the others and seeing every point of view and unexpected twist and i hope you will have as much fun as us._

_I wish you the best holidays, a very merry Christmas and an happy new year._

_Kisses to everyone._

_**~mimagfan**_

This author can be found at:

**AO3**: _(website goes here)_ /users/Mimag/pseuds/Mimag

**FFN**: _(website goes here followed by a slash)_ u/4389653


	7. Exposé

**TO:** _the Skip-Beat fandom_, **FROM:** _Kaname671_

* * *

**Chapter 7: Exposé**

Kuon clenched his jaw as he took in the hazy sky and rush hour traffic of his homeland. He reminisced to less than twenty-four hours ago when he was on a bullet train racing back to Tokyo.

He stared out the window of the Shinkansen, eyes glazed over as the landscape blurred past him. His eyes burned from lack of sleep and unshed tears. He could normally function on four hours of sleep, but his mind wouldn't even allow him that reprieve. Every time he closed his eyes to relieve their dryness, her face floated through his head, reminding him of his loss.

_She's not lost, idiot, you know exactly where she is! He has her!_ Kuon balled his hands into fists. The all too familiar feeling of rage from his youth crept over his Tsuruga Ren persona. He thought he was finally free of his darkness after BJ.

It was obvious now that these feelings were dormant, waiting for the right moment to break loose. He struggled to keep control.

His phone buzzed. _It's done, 15:00 hours at LME._

He smiled sardonically at the message; the man was enjoying this. He could imagine Lory's smirk after his request. He reached his deadline; it was time to shed his mask. He had grown comfortable in the life he established in Japan. Kyoko made waking up each day a little brighter. The darkness ebbed every day he got closer to her light. Now his light was gone, and the darkness clawed at him again. He chuckled; she left him no choice.

He picked up his phone again to check if there were any open seats for earlier flights to LAX. _How could they all be booked? Is everyone and their brother flying to the States today?_

The earliest flight he could procure had him flying out tomorrow afternoon. He was counting on her staying put with his parents and not jumping on another plane to God knows where. Kuon's thoughts darkened. If she wasn't there, he would get the information out of his Dad–even if he had to beat it out of him.

In Tokyo, Kuon hailed a cab back to his apartment. The driver cursed his luck at being the one to drive the Shinigami to his apartment. Kuon threw two ten-thousand-yen bills over the front seat and stepped out. The security guards at the front desk challenged him, but one sharp glare from Kuon had them backing away. They knew that aggressive face from the actor's darker roles following _Tragic Marker_, but the blonde hair was new.

Kuon scanned his card key and swung the door open. The aroma of food accosted his senses and for a blissful moment, he thought Kyoko returned to him. The sight of Lory reading a newspaper on his living room couch dashed his hope. Anger consumed him. If it wasn't for this man, Kyoko wouldn't have had the resources to escape so quickly. _Kidnapper!_

"Come now, Kuon," Lory said, removing his cigar from his mouth. "After everything I've done for you… It breaks my heart to see you look at me with such disdain."

Kuon refused to engage him. He stalked past and headed straight for the guest room, slamming the door. Lory's laugh wafted through the closed door.

Kuon threw his bag on the floor and peeled off his shirt. He rummaged through a drawer and found his weighted fingerless boxing gloves. He hopped on the balls of his feet and threw warm-up punches at the air. Cracking his neck and stretching his arms, he walked up to the bag hanging in the corner of the spacious room. He installed the thing over a year ago while training for a mixed martial arts role. Since he had so much time on his hands now, he needed to blow off steam before he lost his mind. He started out light, throwing quick punches with both arms. He circled the bag: _jab, jab, cross, high knee._ The exercise was a temporary balm for his tortured soul until fatigue settled in.

His mind wandered back to his current predicament, filling his body with renewed rage. In his haste to drive the thoughts away, he changed his punching technique to driving his fists into the bag to deal maximum damage. His thoughts eventually won.

Everyone he cared about was conspiring against him. _Bullshit_. He brought his body closer and threw punishing hooks. He continued for five more minutes until the bag's seam unraveled under his crushing blows. Grains of sand fell to the floor.

The bag hung in tatters from the ceiling and Kuon dropped his stance. He tilted his head back and roared out in frustration, slumping to his knees. His emotions swirled and nothing he did settled them. All his hard work perfecting his image as Tsuruga Ren reduced to ashes over a woman.

He lifted himself from the floor and flopped on the bed. Her lingering scent on the sheets enveloped him in a sweet embrace. _No, not just any woman, The One! For her, I would give it all up._ He grabbed a nearby pillow and brought it to his chest. The smell of her shampoo filled his nostrils. Closing his eyes and curling into the fetal position, he could imagine he held her instead of a pillow.

He tried to replay the night when he revealed his true identity to her. He missed something that night. Did she fake her acceptance of him? For safety, perhaps? Was it all a ploy to let his guard down so she could steal away in the cover of night? Did she run to his parents knowing that they were the last people on Earth he wanted to face? The thoughts spiraled him into a deep abyss of self-loathing.

The door to the guest room creaked open, jarring Kuon from his thoughts. His eyes shot open and narrowed on the President.

Lory gave him a sheepish look. "Sorry to intrude on your brooding; please carry on." Lory scuttled out the door, avoiding the pillow that Kuon threw at him.

Kuon sighed; he needed a drink.

He got off the bed, threw his gloves off, and went outside. Kuon passed Lory on his way to the kitchen. The man was once again puffing on a cigar and reading the newspaper.

"Kuon-sama, please excuse my intrusion," Ruto said, jumping in his path. "I took the liberty of using your kitchen to prepare you something to eat."

"Thanks but I don't need it. Just here for whiskey." Kuon opened his alcohol cabinet to find it bare save for a bottle of sparkling cider he kept on hand for Kyoko.

"Forgive me, Kuon-sama," Ruto said with a low bow.

He growled, storming from the kitchen and snatching the paper from Lory's hands. "Where the hell do you get off breaking into my house and stealing my liquor!" he shouted.

"It was a necessary precaution, given the circumstances," Lory said calmly.

"Like hell! I can take care of myself!"

"Clearly!" Lory motioned at Kuon's disheveled state. "When was the last time you ate? Slept?"

Kuon clenched his jaw and looked away. The last thing he remembered consuming was the beer Sho gave him at the ryokan. "Why are you here?"

"Don't be stubborn, Kuon. At this rate, you'll collapse and need to be hospitalized for dehydration. Or is that your goal?" Lory scoffed. "The cowardly way out. I'm sure if I let Mogami-kun know that you were in the hospital she may even pity you."

Kuon's mood soured. He turned on his heel and sat down at the dining table. Lory was right; he couldn't afford to fall ill right now. He needed to find Kyoko.

If he was admitted to the hospital, would she even visit him?

Ruto served him small portions of food that were high in nutrition and easy to digest. Kuon forced himself to nibble the food in front of him. While he ate, Lory slid a rectangular sheet of paper beside his plate.

"How did you get this?" Kuon peered at Lory through his blonde fringe, "They were sold out when I tried to book a flight."

"I have my ways," Lory said, smiling.

The smile made Kuon believe that this man was somehow responsible for the sold-out flights.

Kuon looked at the man closely. He had been wrapped up in his own world, he failed to notice that the normally eccentric man wore a boring, at least boring in his wacky style, white three-piece suit. What did this man's muted attire mean?

Kuon stopped eating and looked at the ticket. He would leave right after his appointment today; the timing would put him in LA a whole day earlier.

"There's one condition," Lory said, narrowing his eyes.

Of course, there was. There was always a trade-off with this man. Kuon's agreeable demeanor plummeted as the black fog that had been surrounding him earlier gave rise once again. He folded his arms and pierced the man with a steely gaze of his own. He was tired of playing Lory's games.

"You don't have to be so cautious." Lory laughed. "The condition is you have to travel with a chaperone. Ten, specifically, will be your companion."

"Why? I will no longer require her service." Kuon argued. This was his final evolution. He would no longer keep up appearances as Tsuruga Ren.

"She's not going for you," Lory said.

The air rushed from Kuon's lungs as the realization dawned on him. She had plans to meet with Kyoko. Would she sabotage his plans and disguise Kyoko, making it impossible for him to find her?

Saying nothing more, Kuon grabbed the ticket and stormed from the table to prepare.

* * *

Kuon entered LME, flanked by Lory and Ruto. Everyone stopped to watch the spectacle. Their somber walk through the hall garnered more attention than when Lory ran an animal circus through the building. No one forgot the cleanup needed after that day.

The place buzzed with gossip about the foreigner that entered with Lory.

Yashiro waited outside the conference room. He didn't flinch at Kuon's new appearance and instead moved straight into his apology. "Ren, I'm sorry about Kyoko-chan. I couldn't _not_ help her. You'll understand someday."

"The name is Kuon, Hizuri Kuon. If you'll excuse me, I have an interview," Kuon said coldly, closing the door behind him. He didn't have time to feel guilty about leaving Yashiro in the lurch; he was too upset by his betrayal.

Two reporters sat across the table, clearly distressed. Kuon knew they had probably been pulled from other projects to squeeze this in but he couldn't bring himself to care. He slumped into a chair and met the eyes of a discontented man.

"Um… excuse me? My name is Sakamoto, I'm a reporter with Japan Today and this is my colleague Sakura-san, a photojournalist." He motioned to his partner. "We're supposed to be interviewing Tsuruga Ren today. Do you happen to–"

Kuon barked out a laugh and sneered. The man gulped. He leaned across the table and motioned to himself. "You have him in the flesh. My real name is Kuon Hizuri. Not Tsuruga."

Sakamoto and Sakura exchanged glances then looked to the man claiming to be Japan's top actor. A moment passed. Kuon could see the moment when everything clicked for them. Their apprehensions dropped and Sakamoto fell into reporter mode. "Are you saying your real name is Hizuri? As in Kuu… Hizuri?" Kuon nodded. Sakamoto gasped. "You're the elusive son!" he screeched, standing.

He paced the room "How? You disappeared! Off the face of the Earth! Nobody knew what happened to you." He pointed a finger at Kuon. "Journalists tried investigating but always came up empty. You've been here this whole time, under our noses as Tsuruga Ren! Fooling us… why? You're Hizuri-san's son! Wouldn't you want to take advantage of the–!"

Sakamoto stopped at the sight of Kuon's glare. Sakura squeaked and scurried to hide behind him. He gulped, backing away from the table.

"I'm sor–sorry," Sakamoto stuttered, dropping into a bow.

Kuon sagged in the chair, releasing his deadly aura. He stuck his hand in his jacket pocket to seek the comfort of Kyoko's 'Corn' stone. He inhaled sharply and removed his hand as if something had shocked it as he brushed against the velvet box hidden within. _Wrong pocket._

His action made the reporters flinch. He sighed, placing his hands on the table, nodding to the chairs the reporters had escaped. Sakamoto scrambled to sit but Sakura moved slowly, taking the chair farthest away from him.

"I'm here to answer all your questions, tell you all about my past, and my reasons for living as Tsuruga Ren."

It took Kuon nearly half an hour to tell his story. Sakamoto recorded the conversation as Sakura took candid shots. Both reporters were solemn as he confessed a painful past full of bullying, neglect, violence, and death. It would shock the masses when the story hit the stands the next morning. At that time, he would be halfway across the Pacific ocean to chase after the love of his life.

* * *

Blaring horns and expletives shouted across the LA highway jolted Kuon back to the present. He stared out the window with a dark cloud hanging over his person.

Jelly glanced at the young man beside her in the taxi. If she thought the plane ride was bad, being confined in this small space with him was torture. His mood darkened as they continued down the highway. He jiggled his leg and kept his hand in his jacket pocket while he looked out the window.

The anger Kuon felt at the airport was slowly overwhelmed by sadness and guilt whenever he recognized a spot from his youth. Signs and buildings triggered memories of everything he left behind. The stone in his pocket was all that was keeping him grounded as they inched closer to his childhood home. He needed to focus on why he returned.

"Sir, can we stop at a florist? The best in the area?" It had been so long since Kuon was last here, he was unsure if any of the places he remembered were still open.

"No problem," the cabbie said.

Kuon hesitated, trying to figure out where else he should stop. Kyoko liked sweets. _I can pick her up chocolate._

"Sir, can you also stop at a Chocolatier?"

The cab driver laughed. "You know, kid, jewelry always works with my wife." The cabbie looked at Kuon in his rearview mirror. "My Liv always forgives me when I gift her something shiny."

Kuon smiled. That base was already covered. He had planned to give it to her on her birthday, but that idea was shot to hell considering recent events.

"We're here," the cabbie called as he pulled over to the curb.

Kuon stepped out of the car and walked into the flower shop. Fleur something rather. He wanted something that could rival the bouquet Sho gave her that one awful Valentine's Day. _I should have pounded him for what he did to her. _

A saleswoman greeted him as soon as he entered. "Good morning, sir. How may I help you?" Her flinch of surprise made Kuon conscious of his appearance. He probably looked like shit with his butchered hair and bloodshot eyes.

"I need a large bouquet. Something extravagant," he said, without greeting. "With pearls strung through it. And crystals–make those diamonds. Yes, diamonds are forever, right? Put diamonds on it."

"I'm sorry, sir, but such a bouquet would need to be custom ordered in advance. We would need a week to arrange something of that caliber. None of the florists in the area have the capability to fill that sort of request, either," she explained.

"Damn," Kuon muttered. "Well, show me the most expensive bouquet you have on hand."

She stayed silent. Kuon considered walking out but she held him back. "I have just the thing, sir," she said. "It's a bit unconventional but it might be exactly what you're looking for. Give me a moment." The woman disappeared into the backroom.

"Here it is, sir." She reemerged and set a large velvet box on the counter. She motioned him over.

Kuon raised a brow. What kind of bouquet was kept in a box like that? He inched over to the counter as she opened it. His eyes went wide.

"Is it suitable for your tastes?" She motioned to the arrangement and Kuon gaped. Two dozen deep red roses dipped in gold lacquer glittered in their heart-shaped velvet box. "This was a canceled custom order," she explained. "Everlasting roses. They last for years."

Kuon ducked his head to study the arrangement. He brushed the soft petals, holding his breath. They were real roses, there was no doubt. They were perfect.

"We offer the service to personalize the box, but our calligrapher is out for the day. If you purchase this, you can always bring them back at a later date to have it done. Free of charge."

Kuon nodded, ignoring the sales pitch. "I'll take it."

She grinned. "Normally, this would be a thousand-dollar custom arrangement but we can bring it down to 700." She dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "You seem like a nice enough man. Got in an argument with your girl?"

He waved her off. "I'll pay in full."

The saleswoman shrugged as she closed the box but didn't argue. "Will that be debit or credit?"

"Cash." Kuon slapped a wad of hundreds he exchanged at customs on the counter, leaving a large tip on top of the lofty total. The arrangement was less than he expected to pay anyway. He smiled as the florist burned red while she counted out the transaction. Taking the velvet box under his arm, he ignored the receipt she waved at him and waved back to her as he walked out of the shop.

Jelly slammed her phone down as Kuon sauntered back to the cab. She crawled over and swung the door open for him. "What took so long?"

Kuon shrugged, opening the box to show Jelly and their smiling driver. The cabbie blew out a low whistle and Jelly screeched.

"I'm sure Kyoko would adore–" Jelly gasped as she leaned her face closer to the arrangement. "Is that real gold?" She lifted her attention back to Kuon. "This had to cost a fortune!"

He rolled his eyes. The only thing that mattered right now was Kyoko's happiness. He turned to the driver. "Sir, can we go to the chocolate shop now?"

The driver met his eyes through the rearview mirror. "You got it, buddy."

The trip to the chocolate shop took significantly less time. Kuon found a solid dark chocolate bear that he knew Kyoko would adore. When he returned to the car that time, Jelly only rolled her eyes at him.

Finally, he was armed and ready to face the dragon and rescue his princess.

As the cab crept up the winding driveway leading to his childhood home, Kuon started to fidget. For all his bravado leading up to this, anxiety bubbled in his stomach. He reminded himself that he wasn't here for his parents… _yet_. First and foremost, he was here for Kyoko.

He wanted an explanation first. The rest would have to wait.

"You've got to be kidding me." Kuon deadpanned as they pulled up to the front of the house. Their cabbie cursed loudly at the sight waiting in the courtyard, ducking his head to the steering wheel.

His dad stood in the front courtyard with a shotgun slung over his shoulder.

_What the fuck?_

* * *

_Hiya!_

_Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!_

_Thank you all for reading and your continued support!_

_Despite my Moko reaction to Persephone's excitement at the start of this project, I had a lot of fun collaborating with the other authors to create this wonderful gift so I hope you enjoyed._

_Also, I would like to extend a big shout out to ncisduckie for her amazing editing work._

_Until next time, ja ne! ^_^_

_**~Kaname671**_

This author can be found at:

**AO3**: _(website goes here)_ /users/Kaname671/pseuds/Kaname671

**FFN**: _(website goes here followed by a slash)_ u/11068665


	8. The Future that Lies Ahead

**TO:** _the Skip-Beat fandom_, **FROM:** _nerdyinuproduction_

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Future that Lies Ahead**

Kuu stood there, looking ready to pulverize his own child. His only intention was to scare him good. Kuon more than deserved the girl who crossed the world to ensure she got consent from both his parents for them to be together. But he had to admit… the look on his son's face was worth the trouble.

Kuon stared at his father pulling the trigger of the double-barrel shotgun; he swallowed hard.

"He's not serious, is he _?_" baffled, Jelly asked and doesn't know if she would laugh or would be scared, the great Hizuri Kuu holding live ammunition ready to greet them.

The taxi driver, on the other hand. "Uh… sir, I think this is not a great idea to get your lady back. She has a dragon in her castle and you're an undesirable person at the moment."

"It's all right; I'll handle this." Kuon handed him what was left of his converted cash, more than enough to pay his fare, and waved the cabbie off. "Thank you for your help."

The driver tipped his hat. "Good luck, sir. And please stay alive."

Kuon, for the first time since returning to California, smiled. He nodded. "I'll try my best."

After taking their suitcases from the trunk and handing Kuon's peace offerings back, Jelly proceeded to walk past Kuu, who signaled her to go in. "She's waiting for you," Kuu stated. The make-up artist smiled and bounded in the house.

Kuon, however, stood like they were about to duel in the Old West, minus the harmonica and rolling tumbleweeds. Kuu had proper ammunition. He only had gold roses and a chocolate bear.

"What did you come here for?" Kuu knew the answer, but for the sake of being difficult, he leveled his gaze with Kuon. "I thought I told you not to come home until you fulfilled your promise."

"I already resolved that."

Kuu furrowed his brows. "Yeah, half-assed?" his father challenged. He knew his son would fulfill his promise eventually. But in this odd situation, there was no way he didn't rush through the motions for the sake of reuniting with Kyoko. Kuon just smirked and Kuu sighed; the boy inherited that one from him. There was nothing left for him to draw out. He put the gun down and sighed. "She's inside, waiting."

Kuon smiled but knew his battle wasn't over; he still didn't know what made her runaway in the middle of the night. There was the smallest part of him that wondered if he should have stayed away. Except the rest of him knew he needed to be here. Not just for Kyoko's sake. For his own.

While Kuu held Kuon up outside, Kyoko and Julie watched the scene through the window. Kyoko's face burned as she saw what Kuon held in his arms. Julie giggled, nudging her with an elbow. "You know, I've never seen my son do something so extra."

Jelly squeezed in next to Julie. "Too extra? I don't want to know how much those flowers cost," she complained.

"Kyoko deserves it," Julie said matter-of-factly, wrapping an arm around Kyoko. Kyoko smiled and returned the hug.

Finally, Kuu marched up to the house with Kuon trailing behind. For the first time in what felt like ages, their eyes met. Kyoko blushed when he gave her a soft, longing smile. Julie rolled her eyes and pulled her husband from the room, Jelly following close behind with a grin.

And then they were alone.

They remained silent for a few until Ren spoke. "Do you hate me?" Kyoko was taken back and slowly shook her head. Kuon sighed in relief and stepped closer.

She remained in her seat and directed her attention back to the packages in his arms. "Are those for me?" she asked.

Kuon smiled. Whatever she was upset about, it wasn't something he had done. Not if she was interested in the gifts. "Of course." He handed her the bear first, enjoying her delighted grin, before coming in with the final kill. Kuon lifted the lid on the velvet box to reveal the lacquered roses. "I learned you preserve things that I give you. So, I got something that lasted a long time to save you the trouble." He winked.

Kyoko laughed and ran her finger over the rose petals. A moment passed before Kuon pressed on. "I also want to know why you ran away." His voice dropped. The great-and-powerful Kuon Hizuri was reduced to a puppy with his tail tucked between his legs. "Was it something I did?"

She sighed and placed the bouquet beside her. Standing, she reached up on her tiptoes and cupped his cheeks. She kissed his nose to relieve him from his worries. "I am not upset. Rather, I'm happy. However, I wanted to help you," she spoke. "You have been suffering alone and had been keeping the guilt to yourself. I want to ease your pain. I want my Corn to love and cherish himself–just as _I_ love and cherish you."

Kuon's face fell into a soft expression Kyoko hoped to see. His apprehension morphed into something that looked more… thoughtful. She pulled him down to couch. "I did this to help you. I know you've been resistant to accept your success, thinking you're still attached to the legacy of your family. But you can breathe now. Stop worrying. You're more than a Hizuri; you earned your place here with your own skill and talent. You made a name for yourself without your parents' help." She smiled. "You did it. You're free to fly your own path.

"I hope you see what I see," Kyoko continued. "You are a wonderful actor. With a little help here and there, you became a polished, talented and skillful man. You accumulated awards and accolades to your own name. Be proud of that."

Kuon smiled and he kissed Kyoko's hand.

From the other room, the others listened in weepy hysterics. "We don't deserve her," Julie cried. Kuu nodded. He thanked all the deities he could think of for blessing them with such a wonderful daughter. Whatever Kyoko had planned, they were one-hundred-and-one percent on board.

"I want to tell you something," Kuon said, facing Kyoko properly. "I know you would disagree with the rushed decision, but I need to tell you: I've started to manage to embrace my real self. The decision to reveal my identity was quick but I wouldn't take it back if I could. There's so much I need to explain but I needed to explain something first." He took a deep breath and held her hands to his chest. "Kyoko, I was afraid I lost you when you disappeared. I needed to act quickly and fix my mistakes–I needed to tell you how much I loved you. I want you back in my life, even if it means I needed to drop Ren Tsuruga forever. Even if it means screaming to the whole world about my self-hatred and insecurities. Because alongside all my demons, I wanted the world to know that Kuon Hizuri loved Kyoko Mogami through it all. I was her first love, her fairy prince, and I've loved her from day one. She's my fairy princess."

Kyoko blushed and Kuon kissed her hand again before continuing. "With your desire to make me see what I've accomplished… I get it now. I worked hard to get where I am and I think I'm finally ready to accept that I've reached the point of my life where I need to face the truth. I've been so afraid of myself, even after facing my demons while I played Cain Heel." He smiled. "Kyoko, you helped me survive BJ. But I'm still afraid of my past. Of my crime."

Kyoko frowned. "You didn't commit any crime. You were in a bad place at a bad time," she comforted. "I told you the other night: you weren't driving that car. And you couldn't have reasonably expected your best friend to follow you into traffic.

"With Rick's accident, you finally learned how to be your own person. The name your brought into the industry belongs to you and you alone. Remember that."

He frowned. "I am still afraid, but I want to be better."

"And I will be there." Kyoko gave a comforting smile, which Kuon returned.

Kuon pulled her into a tight embrace and he kissed the top of her head. "I missed you," he said into the crown of her hair.

Kyoko's own muffled voice spoke into his shirt. "I missed you, too. But I needed to do what I had to."

It wasn't clear to Kuon yet, but he didn't care as long as she was not mad, afraid, or running away. He was would be fine. He peppered kisses across her face and Kyoko giggled. Kuon was glad that things were back to where they should be with Kyoko. Now that things were fixed, he would never let her go.

"Is it just me, or was that something out of a drama?" Jelly whispered to Julie. The actress giggled but shushed her friend, pulling their group away before Kuon realized they were eavesdropping.

After they talked, Kyoko helped Kuon bring his suitcase up to his room. He sighed in relief when he realized that his parents had redecorated since his departure. Instead of the posters and books that lined his walls as a teen there was a plain, almost sterile, room. It was like the room he had at the Takarada mansion when he first moved to Japan. The bed as the same size as the one he had in his apartment and the dressers were clean of any sort of identifying factors with the exception of the closet, which was still filled with the clothes he wore before leaving. Most of them were momentos of important red carpet events he attended with his family but there were a couple of his more casual outfits tucked in the back.

He tossed Kyoko one of his old shirts, asking her to try it on when they finished unpacking his suitcase. When she pulled it over her head, it was too big for her and swallowed her smaller frame. He chuckled.

"Corn is a giant, not a fairy." She pouted.

"Would you still love him if that were so?" he teased.

Kyoko blushed, nodding. He smiled. Pulling her into a hug, he dragged them to the floor and sat her between his legs. He couldn't bear the thought of letting her go so soon after reuniting with her.

She didn't resist or tell him to let go, so he took a chance and increased his affection. While they were tangled together, Kuon leaned in and gave her a tender kiss. She returned it, biting his lower lip. He smirked against her mouth. When she tugged on his lip, he kissed her again.

They ended up snuggling on the floor before getting ahead of themselves. Kuon was too comfortable to let go and was content with with her in his arms. Kyoko finally broke the silence, looking up at him earnestly. "We should finish cleaning; I haven't even made lunch yet," she said. He chuckled and relented, pulling them from the ground.

The two of them ate lunch separate from the house, allowing Julie and Kuu to fill Jelly in about Kyoko's plan. They were laughing about her scene in the amphitheater when Kuu noticed Kuon and Kyoko dressed and headed for the door hand-in-hand. "Where are you off to, Kuon?"

"To the city; I want to meet up with some old pals. I heard Bert put up his dream shop?" Kuon asked.

"Oh! Your purple-loving friend, Barney?" Kuu joked. "Where do you think I got my shotgun? He was so nice and chipped in extra shells when I told him the bullets were for you," he added. "Chief even piped in that he would sponsor your coffin for the funeral."

Kyoko laughed. Kuon shook his head, chuckling. "They never change."

Kuon borrowed his father's car and as they drove into town, he reminisced the times he stole his father's motorbike or car and drove to meet his friends. He told Kyoko stories about their mischief across southern California and she laughed the whole drive. They parked on a sidestreet and ventured into the busier main street, wandering aimlessly until some strangers helpfully pointed them toward Bert's shop.

To Kuon's surprise, it was a big store. It had a glass window both let him see inside and view products on display; the window had the store's name written in blocky decals. Kuon knew it was exactly the shop he was looking for.

With their hands linked, he led Kyoko inside. They found a guy in purple hoodie and cargo pants napping with his legs crossed, using the desk as a leg rest. Kuon slammed the door, causing the guy to fall off his chair and pull out a gun.

Kyoko, startled from the outburst, hugged Kuon and put herself between him and the gun. He was shocked to learn that she was ready to put herself in danger just for him.

"Knights of Columbus, do you mind?" The guy put his pistol down and scratched his head. "What do you–" He blinked once, twice, and then thrice. "Kuon!"

"In the flesh, Barney!" Kuon chuckled, holding Kyoko in a side embrace. "I heard you gave an extra bullet to my dad to make sure I'd die?"

"I did. Duckie and Arslan promised to sponsor your cremation, and Persephone wanted to back your funeral."

Kyoko's jaw dropped; hearing friends talk like that was not something she was familiar with.

"Mimag even offered to add some extra guns to your dad's order to ensure you died." Kyoko scrunched her nose. The guy turned to her and raised a brow. "Who's the girl?"

"Ah…" Kuon smiled his famous megawatt smile. "This is Kyoko Mogami, my future wife."

Kyoko blushed. She knew he didn't know the specifics of her plan. Meaning, this was something he decided on his own.

"Easy with the smile, stupid. I ain't paying for the electric bill you're racking up with that grin."

Kyoko giggled.

"Where's the gang?" Kuon asked.

"Weaver's a cop now." Kuon's jaw dropped. Since when did Weaver cross enemy lines like that? They used to run from the cops! Now he's one of them? "Aki and Genie are both studying Engineering. Kaname, Duckie, and Persephone… the girls are studying writing. Arslan and Chief are doing business together, or something like that," he explained. "They'll all be home this week for the holidays."

"What about you?" Kuon asked.

"I just got back from my last deployment. Thinkin' of retiring as a lieutenant and keeping up this place," he said proudly. Kuon smiled. "After you left, we thought maybe living differently would be good for us. Thanks to you, we fixed our lives." Bert said. "So, what can I do for you, Kuon?"

"I just came to visit." Kuon looked around. There was a long glass counter with pistols and ammunition in the display for the buyers to see. There was even a barrel table and stool for sale by the corner. Kuon shook his head, amazed he missed so much. "It's a nice place you got here."

Barney told Kyoko every embarrassing story of Kuon he could think of. If it was anyone else, Kuon would have shut the storytime down but Kyoko seemed to be enjoying them. And what was his embarrassment compared to her entertainment?

A thought popped up into his mind to make use of his friends later… but first, he needed his father's help.

Later when they came back to the Hizuri house, Julie and Jelly pulled Kyoko away immediately. Kuon thought it was great timing. Kuu and Julie saw their son smile brightly for the first time in forever as he bid farewell to Kyoko. "Dad, I need your help." Kuon said as soon as the door slammed behind the girls.

His father gasped. Kuon never asked for help. "All right, what is it?"

"I want to take Kyoko on a dinner date." Kuon stared seriously at his father.

Kuu chuckled. "Do you want me to reserve you a table at Cecconi's?"

"No… I…" Kuon swallowed hard. "I want to cook."

Kuu's stomach twisted at the thought of his son cooking. Kuon may not have inherited his stomach but he definitely inherited Julie's culinary incapabilities. "I'll cook. Just tell me what you want."

"Thank you. That would work, too."

With his plan in motion, he called his friends. Within the next hour, ten of his childhood friends were piled in his living room to help. "Decorate and make everything perfect! Got it?" They saluted and went to work. Kuon brought a table for two out from their garage with the matching folding chairs. Kuu busied himself in the kitchen with Barney.

"Son!" Kuu rushed to Kuon after receiving a coded text from his wife. "They're already heading back!"

"Can you tell them to give us a little more time?"

Kuu nodded. Earlier Kuu informed his wife of the impending surprise and Julie was more than happy to help with the diversion.

"Crap!"

Chief almost slipped from the roof and his friends laughed as he hobbled back to his feet. The girls helped with the flower decorations as well as raking the yard. After another half an hour, they finally finished. Chief and Arslan remained on the roof; poor guys were freezing from the evening winter air.

When Kyoko arrived, she was surprised to be greeted by a decorated yard. The leaves were cleared, the infinity pool shone from the moonlight's reflection, and the paper lanterns illuminated the yard in a soft swath of orange. Ornaments made from pink and white cloth were tied to the garden trees and candle lights were lit across the garden.

Kuon was dressed nicely in pink dress shirt and white waistcoat, waiting for Kyoko to arrive at the entrance to the garden.

Kyoko, who was beautifully dressed in white sweater dress and tall boots, walked through the garden on the pink carpet that led to a cottage in the backyard. While walking to meet Kuon, she noticed pink and white confetti falling from above. She looked up and saw two people shivering as they shook the paper snow over her. Kyoko finally caught up with Kuon, who gave her a kiss as her welcome. A warm breeze swirled across her body and when she looked around, she found heaters strategically placed around the garden.

"Can we come down now? It's freezing!" Chief complained. They laughed and Kuon asked for his friends to come out from hiding. Kyoko wondered how they all seemed to appear out of nowhere when Chief complained as he descended and almost slipped off the ladder.

Kyoko giggled and Kuon looked at her with love. Kuon's friends went home shortly after they greeted Kyoko politely.

"Are you sure you guys were part of a gang?" Kyoko asked when the last of them had left.

"Believe it or not, we were. Although, they are useful if you use them properly." Kuon laughed.

Kuon pulled out a chair for her and they both settled down at the table. They shared dinner and small talk until she was again surprised by what Kuon planned for her. He prepared for them to dance and enjoy the night in the warm cottage off the main house, just two of them.

Taking a small remote from his pocket, Kuon clicked a button that blared American music through the speakers. Kuon took her hands and lifted them to his shoulders. His palms rested on her hips and they swayed to the slow, romantic tune of "10,000 Hours' by Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber.

Kyoko rested her head on his shoulder and Kuon pulled her closer. Her arms wrapped around his neck and Kuon's arms secured around her waist. The actor took the chance to drop kisses on her head and inhaled her pleasant scent as the music continued.

_"When you close your eyes, tell me what are you dreaming? Everything, I wanna know it all,"_ a voice sang sweetly through the room.

They did a few more slow dances together.

In the house, Kuu, Julie, and Jelly ate what remained of the meal Kuu prepared. "How did the shopping trip go?"

"Wonderful!" Julie clapped her hands. "Everything we picked looks so marvelous on her. Remind me that I need to coordinate a trip to New York. She would love the shows!" She laughed, scrolling through her phone. "But she's surprisingly shy for an actress. Look how red she got when we put her in this deep V-neck dress!"

Jelly snorted, waving a strawberry on her fork. Kuu's dinner concluded with a strawberry shortcake that she couldn't stop eating. "She was as bright as this." She smiled around the bite. "And Kuon would eat her up just the same."

Kuu laughed, shaking his head.

The next morning, Kyoko woke up and found herself in an unfamiliar room. It was decorated in gray and black with only a little light filtering through the curtains. It reminded her of Kuon's room in Japan. Seconds later, she remembered that this was also his room… but in America. She looked up and he was still asleep. She smiled, tracing his jaw with her finger. Stubble scattered across his chin and she couldn't help imagining his face with a beard.

"_Am I attracted to that?_" She was shocked at the thought. She dropped back and rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat until Kuon woke with a groan.

He greeted her with a groggy voice. "Good morning."

"Good morning."

Kuon leaned his head down to give her another kiss. She giggled and pulled herself up, returning it. They stayed in bed for a few minutes until Kuon started to hum. She looked up to him and listened, scooting closer and wrapped her arms around his torso. "I don't want another pretty face," he sang slowly. "Beautiful Soul" by Jesse McCartney was one of the only songs he knew by heart but in that moment, it felt right.

Kyoko became romantically excited after hearing his sweet, groggy voice. Kuon gently tilted her chin up, prompting Kyoko to kiss to his jaw. He smiled, continuing the song as Kyoko adjusted herself. Now, she laid her full weight on top of him and crossed arms as leverage to watch him. Kuon held her waist so she wouldn't lose balance.

"I want you and your beautiful soul," he finished. Kyoko dropped a kiss on his nose. "I love you," Kuon stated and pulled her to him and claimed her lips.

They stayed like this for a while until Kuon spoke. "Meeting my old friends yesterday made me think," he started. "I faced my past. The reason why I cut off my relations to them is because of my guilt. However, with you I managed to overcome it. And I decided to make a new life where, instead of punishing myself for Rick's death, rather, I will devote myself on protecting someone else I love; I will care for you until the day I die." Kyoko blinked, but Kuon continued. "The guilt is there, but I thought about what you said. I want to share my life with you. I want to forget about my pain, and instead feel love again… with you."

Kyoko brightly smiled and pulled herself up, silencing him with another kiss. After, they went to see Kuu, Julie, and Jelly. They shared breakfast and went back to snuggle in Kuon's room. Kyoko opened her social media with Kuon at her back and scrolled through the different outlets covering Kuon's identity reveal from the day before.

Kyoko laid in bed with her stomach flat. Kuon remained beside her, however, his arm stayed secure across her waist to keep her warm.

The last article she read announced Kuon Hizuri as not only Tsuruga Ren but also as her boyfriend. Only part of the page detailed their whirlwind plans–the rest was dedicated to explaining why Kuon had gone to such drastic measures to protect his identity.

He finally escaped the pressure of his father's shadow.

And Kyoko couldn't be any prouder.

* * *

_I just want to wish everyone Merry Christmas and I would love to thanks the co-authors and the mastermind ncisduckie and the muscle of the group SilkHandkerchief on putting up this little potluck fic from everyone's favorite SB fanfic writers._

_I had been writing fics but I am new to everyone here and shortly made a family from these beautiful people!_

_**~nerdyinuproduction**_

This author can be found at:

**AO3**: _(website goes here)_ /users/Sgt_Inu_95/pseuds/Sgt_Inu_95

**FFN**: _(website goes here followed by a slash)_ u/7774840


	9. Fashion is a Girl's Best Friend

**TO:** _the Skip-Beat fandom_, **FROM:** _Dutchgirl_

* * *

**Chapter 9: Fashion is a Girl's Best Friend**

While the two young lovebirds–or was it turtledoves?–wasted the entire morning in bed, the other three were happily discussing the most definite upcoming wedding of these two beloved children. Julie decided right then and there that she _must_ accompany Kyoko on her search for the perfect engagement, ceremony, reception, and wedding dinner dress. Her inborn style and elegance, coupled with her years of experience, made Julie the best advisor.

Furthermore, this precious girl needs an exceptional wedding trousseau. Has she already started preparing hers yet? What exactly does she like, what goes well with her? So many things to plan, and so much time to plan them in, Julie can't stop feeling giddy.

"Darling," said Kuu with an apologetic smile. "We mustn't forget about Lory. He would want to be a part of the wedding planning team." But a very excited Julie had become so lost in her own world, with a silly smile on her face, that he had to use an underhanded tactic. "Mother of our child, please note that Lory will fight for the right to–"

"Hmm, what was it that you just said, dear?" Julie smiled absentmindedly at Kuu, still wildly imagining Kyoko in various wedding gowns. _Pale, light, or even cream-colored_? Yep, she's gone all the way up to Cloud Nine.

Chuckling to himself, Kuu patted her arm. "It's all fine and dandy to arrange their wedding ahead of schedule, which has yet to be planned out, by the way. But we must not forget that we have a very large rival to deal with," he reminded her.

Julie gasped. Crashing down to earth had never felt so unnerving before.

"That is so true; you are absolutely right. We mustn't let him get too carried away. After all, it is our son that is getting married to our wonderful daughter-in-law. If he gets too carried away, he might even scare off some of the wedding guests. I hope that they will spend at least a month with us. There are so many things that I still need to ask her. What do you think, Jelly? You will mark that date in your agenda, and be their personal beautician, won't you?" Julie beamed her most irresistible smile (which she reserved for such occasions) at Jelly Woods. But the smile was actually wasted, simply because Jelly, too, had become very much excited at this prospect.

"I cannot believe I got so lucky to witness this first-hand. Darling will be so overjoyed." Jelly was also overjoyed.

"So, Jelly, seeing that you have already worked with both Kuon and Kyoko before, what is your professional opinion?" Julie tapped her chin. "Which style do you think suits Kyoko best? Shall we try all kinds of different styles with her? I look forward to properly dress her up." She was practically beside herself now. "I know! We should take her to some bridal salons to gauge her responses."

Grinning from ear-to-ear, Jelly heartily agreed. "Good idea; every dress deserves its own kind of style. Even though I normally use wigs to style Kyoko for her roles… she could perhaps grow it out a bit. And we could use extensions here and there?"

By now both Julie, the mother and future mother-in-law, and Jelly, the beautician and hairdresser known as "The Witch", were now in sync and high fiving each other across the breakfast table."

"All right, ladies, that's enough fashion talk," Kuu said. "I think it's best to wait until we have double-checked with…"

"You know, Jelly, I am thinking of having Kyoko participate in a couple of bridal shows with me," Julie said. "This would broaden her horizons and be beneficial to her in the long run."

"What a splendid idea Julie, such a perfect opportunity to practice for the big day."

Both Ladies were now grinning like the famous Cheshire Cat from… who's the writer again? Ah, yes, _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ by Lewis Carroll.

They totally ignored the minority in the group–the only male present. Kuu Hizuri, who was desperately trying to grab their attention, and point them to the one important and glaring issue, that might blow up in their faces if not treated delicately.

"Ladies, Ladies, that's enough. Enough!" Kuu shouted, waving his hands. "Do I have your attention now? I know that bridal fashion is very important. And even though we can keep on talking about the plans for the wedding, Lory will be very, very annoying to deal with if we keep him out of the loop." He was dreading his best friend's temper tantrums. "I suggest we give him a call now, put him on speakerphone, and hear what he has to say about it." This would certainly pacify the incorrigible Lovemon, and hopefully, the three of them combined would be able to curb his extravagant party-throwing tendencies.

* * *

_Dear Reader,_

_Thank you very much for your time._

_I hope that you have enjoyed every minute, and laughed at the characters' shenanigans._

_May you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!_

_Lots of love from your some-time author, **~Dutchgirl**_


	10. Unintended Consequences

**TO:** _the Skip-Beat fandom_, **FROM:** _AkisMusicBox_

* * *

**Chapter 10: Unintended Consequences**

The location of the wedding seemed to be the biggest bone of contention at the moment, with Miss Woods and President Takarada lobbying for Tokyo and the Hizuris for Los Angeles. Regardless, it seemed a captivating enough topic to keep them occupied in the dining room while Kuon snuck into the kitchen. As he tip-toed on bare feet across the tile, Kyoko couldn't help but feel that it was truly Kuon in his element.

_He hasn't wasted a step, and I can't even hear the splash of him pouring coffee. He has had experience sneaking out,_ she thought. He turned to make his way back to her, mugs in hand, but she scowled. Coffee alone was not a sufficient breakfast. She pointed to the fruit bowl. He rolled his eyes and crept there as well, grabbing a banana and an apple and tucking them in his arm. He raised his eyebrows and she nodded.

Once he returned to her side, she took a mug from him and they snuck their way out to the amphitheater. They took a seat on the stage and let their legs dangle off of the edge. He passed her the apple. "Kyoko-chan, I must implore you that if you ever intend to surprise my parents like that again, record the results," Kuon said. He smiled into his coffee. "It sounded like quite the show. I'd have loved to see their reaction."

Kyoko swallowed. "That's more than fair." She ran a thumb along the smooth skin of the apple. "I'm sorry about how I left. I realize it was rather abrupt. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't–" She exhaled slowly, trying to shake that overwhelming weight on her chest that had loomed over her the night she left. It was a ghost of a feeling, it shouldn't matter anymore, but she could still feel the rawness of the risk she took. Secrets had divided them for so long and she could no longer bear the few questions left unanswered, and the despair in his voice when he called himself a murderer. "I needed to do this on my own. I needed to see where you came from, without the lenses of Ren and Corn tinting my view. I needed to see you clearly, without your own biases, and I needed your parents to see it, too. It just didn't make sense. Your parents seemed like good people, but how you still had to carry this burden–"

"The thing about burdens is," he cut in, "is that as much as people can tell you to put them down, you have to do it yourself. You have to convince yourself that you deserve freedom."

"It is freedom, right?" she asked. She bit her lip. "Kuon's no longer a burden?"

He nodded. "Ren Tsuruga would not have been able to get married without it being a catastrophe. Kuon Hizuri's some interloper, some spoiled rich kid riding his daddy's coattails. He looks more like an alien than a sex symbol."

Kyoko's stomach dropped. _Oh no, oh no, what–_

He chuckled. "No, it's… refreshing. The things that plagued me growing up are going to make this easier. Well… not for Yashiro." He looked over to Kyoko. "I might have shortened his lifespan a bit with this stunt. I'll make him take the week off after we return."

"Is he doing okay?" she asked, remembering Yashiro's serious demeanor when she pleaded for his help.

As much as he had worked to bring those two together, the plan was not something easy to accept. Things had to fall into place perfectly for it to work. Yashiro had been doing everything he could to support Ren for years, so she didn't blame him for being reluctant to comply with her scheme.

_Yashiro may have been with him longer, but I love Kuon. I've loved every side of him._

"His voicemails oscillate from ecstatic to overwhelmed, but he will survive and forgive." Kuon took a sip of his coffee. "How about Kotonami? Will she ever forgive you for betraying Love Me and your career for a man?"

"Moko-san and I often don't see eye-to-eye, and somehow we make it work. It will take a lot of groveling, but there's no way she'd let Chiori-chan be my maid of honor instead. Besides, that man betrayed his career for me, too, so she'll have to understand." She sighed and took a bite of her apple. The thought still came with an asterisk in her mind, but she could force herself to ignore it. The one thing she believed in, more profoundly than ever in her life, was that she had people in her life that loved her, and their love was stronger than her latest mistake. _Moko will be fine; I know it._

Kuon ran a finger over his bottom lip. "Where do you want to get married? Did anyone actually ask you?"

She swallowed her bite. "It never really came up. Your parents were rather busy showing me the 'Shrine of Kuon' they erected in one of the storage rooms." Every award, every headshot, and every Playbill were arranged chronologically so Kyoko could walk through his accolades year by year.

His eyes softened. "Of course. I was only too lucky for my room to be clean of incriminating evidence. But… what do you think of getting married in Kyoto, where it all started? I think the Fuwas would be agreeable, even Sho."

She balked. "It would be incredible, but they'd never agree…" She furrowed her brow. "Shotaro?"

"He helped. His parents were acting strange when he called, so we went there in person. I was treated to the privilege of his mother scolding him, which was high-quality entertainment and… we bonded, strangely enough. He didn't shake the beer, at least, and that's considerably better than I could have ever expected." Kuon sipped his coffee.

She stared at him, slackjawed. "This is just unbelievable. What are you going to say next, that he's going to be your best man?"

"That just might kill Yashiro; I couldn't do that to him. But, I do feel a bit guilty." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed.

Kyoko nearly spilled her coffee lunging to grab it. "Kuon, stop! Ren! Corn! Cain! Somebody, please!" she cried as he held the phone out of her reach.

Halfway through the second ring, Sho picked up. Kuon turned on the speakerphone. "Tsuruga! What in the absolute _hell_ is going on? You're supposed to be finding Kyoko, not finding more ways to whore yourself out!"

"The latter begat the former, Fuwa. I found her safe and sound."

Kyoko stifled a squeak.

"Did she fillet your ass? Don't come cryin' to me, Tsuruga, or Hizuri, or what _ever_ your name is. And who do you expect to believe that bullshit? Un-freaking-believable."

Kyoko scowled at just how pleased Kuon was with himself. "It's all true!" Kyoko hollered at the phone. "And I'm right _here_! I didn't hurt him!"

"Gah! Do you have me on speakerphone, you ass? That's entrapment–"

"That's not why I called, Fuwa," he said breezily. "On a scale from zero to ten, how much would you hate Kyoko and I getting married at your parents' inn? And how much would your parents hate us doing that? Ideally, I'm looking at like an eight from you and a two from them for things to work out nicely."

Kyoko heard clattering from the other end of the phone, and then a string of muffled swears before Shotaro answered. "If you want to nuke your career even further by marrying a nobody and spend the last scraps of your money on a wedding at a traditional inn, that's your stupid decision. Not my place to stop my parents from making money–but I am telling them to charge you double. No, triple!"

"What?!" Kyoko shrieked. "That's ridiculous!"

"Don't be a penny-pincher, Kyoko. It's a _historical inn._ The hoards of people descending on it are gonna cause wear and tear," Shotaro growled back.

Kuon's eyes flashed mischievously. "That's right, Kyoko. No need to be miserly."

Kyoko buried her head in her hands. _This is my punishment, isn't it? I knew I was getting off too easily–Sho and Kuon are planning my wedding, this is awful!_

"Some of us actually care about our careers, Tsuruga, so I'm going to get back to work."

"One more thing, Fuwa." Kuon set the phone on Kyoko's knee and hopped off of the stage. "Considering your uncanny ability to inject yourself into our lives whenever is most inopportune, I thought it prudent to take a preemptive approach." He found her hand and held it between both of his. "Despite everything that's happened, there's still one final piece that's missing. An actual proposal of marriage."

He knelt. Her face burned.

Shotaro swore. "I am out!" The phone screen went black.

"That should take care of that." Kuon grinned, still holding her hand.

"R–Ren? Kuon?" Her whole body was tingling.

"Kyoko… even in my darkest days, you were my light. I don't want to spend another day without you understanding just how much you mean to me, so please… give me the chance to spend the rest of my life with you. Kyoko Mogami, will you marry me?"

"Yes," she breathed. Then, louder. "Yes!" She slid off of the stage, his phone falling to the ground, and she buried her face into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her as she continued chanting a chorus of "yes" between sobs, a spell she put her whole heart in to.

Sho tugged at his necktie as he paced the grounds of the ryokan. _Ma was trying to strangle me with this thing… and it's too stuffy in there, anyway._ Guests were flooding the inn, fortunately, none from his days at school, or he feared he'd never hear the end of it. _"Poor boy, his devoted Kyoko off and marrying some other man in his own family home," they'd say. Tch. It had always felt more her like home than mine. I belong in Tokyo._ He had stolen outside for some fresh air, but he knew he didn't have long–his parents needed the help. _Even though the Hizuris brought their own army of staff to help set up, they can't just do whatever they please._ Sho was happy to yell at them for his mother, but his attentions were needed elsewhere for the time being.

As he neared the entrance of the ryokan, he didn't bother to control his sneer at the woman emerging from the taxi. "Fifteen minutes until the ceremony," he pointed out. "You're practically late."

Saena Mogami clutched the envelope in her hand and leveled her coldest stare at him. "Practically isn't actually, Fuwa." She raised a critical eyebrow as the taxi drove away. "I trust you reserved my seat in the back?"

"Of course. Not puttin' you anywhere you can make trouble." She was dressed like she was a lawyer headed to a contract negotiation rather the mother of the bride headed to a summer wedding.

Her brow furrowed. "Trouble?"

Sho barked a laugh. "Among the million other things your daughter has me doing, my number one job is keeping an eye on you. She compared the two of us and put _me_ in charge of _you_."

"Consider it a major down payment on you repaying your debt to me for years of services rendered," Kyoko had said with a stern wag of her finger.

Saena's lips twitched. "Show me to my seat, if you'd be so kind."

Sho offered his arm, and she rested a hand on it. He almost felt sorry for her, so he said, "Word to the wise, avoid the Hizuris. They're… emotive on a good day. Practically hysterical right now. You'll be able to tell who they are from a mile away."

"Duly noted."

* * *

_It's only been a year since I found the Skip Beat! fandom and started writing fan fictions, and I am amazed at how quickly I was welcomed and encouraged. Skip Beat! fans are generous with their support, and members of the Discord are always willing to offer their assistance and empathy. I have grown so much as a writer within the past year and it is all thanks to this community's generosity and willingness to accept Nakamura's message around the importance of found family. Thank you all!_

_Special thanks to Persephone for gathering this group of wild cats together, ncisduckie for herding us, and SilkHandkerchief for making us look good!_

_**~AkisMusicBox**_

This author can be found at:

**AO3**: _(website goes here)_ /users/AkisMusicBox/pseuds/AkisMusicBox

**FFN**: _(website goes here followed by a slash)_ u/12161739


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